Ludhiana. In the run‑up to Punjab’s assembly polls, political tensions spiked when former Union Minister and BJP stalwart Ravneet Singh Bittu disrupted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s appearance at the Punjab Agricultural University.

What transpired at the Kisan Mela

After delivering a speech at the farmers’ fair, CM Mann’s convoy began to move out of the venue. Bittu, flanked by a handful of BJP supporters, stepped onto the road, hoisting a bottle of liquor and a ripe tomato. He shouted that the bottle was a “gift” he intended to return to the chief minister, while accusing the state government of turning a blind eye to Punjab’s drug menace.

Accusations and a prior flashpoint in Batala

Bittu claimed that just days earlier, while traveling to Pathankot for the BJP’s “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra,” his convoy had been pelted with eggs near Batala. He said his security detail detained three alleged assailants before police restored order.

“If protesters can target BJP leaders, we too have the democratic right to raise our voice against the government,” Bittu told reporters during the Ludhiana demonstration.

Police action and BJP’s response

Law enforcement officials detained Bittu on the spot, citing disorderly conduct. Undeterred, the BJP spokesperson announced that the party would persist in highlighting Punjab’s drug‑related challenges and would continue to organise peaceful protests outside the chief minister’s events and government offices.

The episode underscores the heightened confrontations as the state gears up for a fiercely contested election.