July 12, 2021
3 mins read

BJP leaders taken hostage rescued after 12-hour ordeal

The incident occurred in Rajpura town, some 40 km from the state capital….reports Asian Lite News

BJP leaders, who were taken hostage with family members by protesting farmers in a house in a Punjab town, were rescued early Monday by police after an over 12-hour ordeal and with the intervention of the high court.

Rescued leaders blamed the farmers for unlawful act in the pretext of protesting against the three farm laws enacted by the Central government. They blamed the state Congress government for supporting the farmers.

The incident occurred in Rajpura town, some 40 km from the state capital, where state general secretary Bhupesh Aggarwal was taken hostage along with others in a house on Sunday evening.

Aggarwal told the media that he along with other party leaders and workers assembled in the town a day earlier for a district-level party meeting at the Bharat Vikas Parishad building. The farmers reached the meeting venue and disrupted it.

Later they decided to hold a meeting in a house and they assembled there. The farmers reached there and held them hostage by snapping the water and electricity supply.

In a video on social media, protesters could be seen chasing and heckling local councillor Shanti Swarup and even tearing his clothes while he was being taken away by policemen. This incident occurred on Sunday.

However, the police denied he was attacked.

A police team led the Deputy Inspector General Vikramjit Duggal was at the spot to rescue and escort the hostage leaders to safety. The situation throughout the night remained tense.

When the holed up leaders were rescued by the police they claimed that the farmers chased, abused and heckled them. Also their vehicles were pelted with stones.

However, farmer leader Prem Singh Bhangu blamed Aggarwal for provoking farmers by using abusive language. He said the incident flared up when Aggarwal’s bodyguard pointed a pistol at the peacefully protesting farmers.

The BJP approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court late Sunday and sought its intervention for the safety of its leaders.

Directing the state to ensure the persons alleged to be illegally detained “are provided safe exit with adequate security and no harm is caused to anyone of them”, Justice Suvir Sehgal asked the state to summit the report on July 12 at 2 p.m.

Reacting to attack on the party leaders, Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma said: “This is an attack on democracy. There is complete lawlessness in Punjab as police have become mute spectators.”

The farmers in Punjab and Haryana have been protesting against the farm laws as they feel that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporate entities.

They are boycotting the BJP leaders too.

In October last, the vehicle in which BJP chief Ashwani Sharma was travelling was attacked by 30-40 people with bricks and sticks near the toll plaza in Hoshiarpur town.

Also the police fired tear gas shells and used water cannons in January to disperse protesting farmers, who stormed the helipad and vandalised the stage where Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was to address a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ to highlight the benefits of Centre’s agriculture laws.

ALSO READ: A PIL for Syama Prasad Mookerjee stirs row in BJP

Previous Story

Congress needs to give Priyanka a role outside UP

Next Story

Suspended over 22,500 accounts, says Twitter

Latest from -Top News

Multi-alignment, upgraded

With US ties strained and China tense, New Delhi taps Europe’s harder edge for co-development, clean tech and strategic autonomy, writes Manoj Menon India is recalibrating its great-power hedging as frictions with

India-EU Trade Deal Breakthrough Soon?

Negotiators report increased momentum in discussions, which have been given a boost from US President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive…reports Asian Lite News India and the European Union aim to finalise a trade

Europe Seeks Peace in Gaza

European countries condemn Israeli interception of Gaza-bound flotilla, demand safety of citizens…reports Asian Lite News Israel’s interception of an international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza has sparked condemnation across Europe, with

GAZA: Egypt to Host Peace Talks

Egypt hopes the discussions will help “end the war and the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people, which has continued for two consecutive years…reports Asian Lite News Egypt will host Israeli and

‘My Injuries Made Me’

During his four-year battle with injury, the incumbent fast bowling spearhead made occasional appearances but couldn’t bear the workload and demands of red-ball cricket….reports Asian Lite News England tearaway Jofra Archer believes
Go toTop

Don't Miss

No Muslim member in Assam treasury bench, opposition has 31

In this year’s elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party put

BJP intensifies campaign for final phase of UP polls

Polling will be held in 54 assembly constituencies in the