BJYM protests minister’s remarks

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 16

The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) today staged a protest against Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu outside Hotel Park Plaza where he was to announce various development projects.

Blaming the minister for allegedly supporting Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack, they smeared a poster of the minister with ink. Before the minister’s visit, they also tore the blackened poster at Bhai Bala Chowk.

The BJYM members raised slogans against the minister and Pakistan. At one moment, they stopped the vehicle of MP Ravneet Singh Bittu mistaking him for Sidhu. The police then detained many workers and took them to the Division Number 5 police station. Ludhiana BJYM president Mahesh Sharma said they staged the protest against the minister for his controversial statement after the Pulwama terror attack.

“Various countries have raised questions over the role of Pakistan in the Pulwama terror attack but Sidhu claims that Pakistan has no role in the attack,” he said.

Later, the BJP leaders reached the police station to get the BJYM member released.

While the BJYM workers were raising slogans against Sidhu, MP Ravneet Singh Bittu came out of his vehicle. When he assured the protesters that Pakistan should be taught a lesson for the Pulwama attack, they started raising slogans “Bittu Zindabad”.

Meanwhile, talking to media persons after the BJYM’s protest, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu expressed surprise over Sidhu’s remarks. Bittu said: “I am from a family of martyrs and I can understand the pain of the families of CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama terror attack,” he said.

Shiv Sena Hindustan stages protest

Members of the Shiv Sena Hindustan also staged a protest against Sidhu at Sherpur Chowk in the afternoon. They burnt an effigy of the minister. Chander Kant Chadha of Shiv Sena Hindustan said they protested Sidhu’s alleged statement in favour of Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack.