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Ravneet Bittu’s security staff, Chandigarh police scuffle outside Punjab CM’s residence, minister alleges misconduct
While Ravneet Bittu’s security staff accused the Chandigarh police of blocking their vehicle and stopping them from performing their duty of protecting the minister, the latter claimed a breach of protocol by the minister’s security staff.
An altercation took place between the Chandigarh policemen and security personnel of Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday when the latter reached the official residence of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to meet him in connection with cases registered against two of his close associates in the state.
There were heated arguments between the central minister’s security officials and city policemen, with both sides accusing each other of impeding them from performing their duties. While Bittu’s security staff accused the Chandigarh police of blocking their vehicle and stopping them from performing their duty of protecting the minister, the latter claimed a breach of protocol by security staff.
Bittu later complained to the director general of police (DGP), Chandigarh, about the alleged police misbehaviour and blocking of his cavalcade’s movement with their vehicles in an attempt to breach his Z+ security cover. “Despite knowing my identity as a Union minister, they misbehaved with me, using verbal and physical abuse,” he alleged in an email to the DGP, blaming a team led by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Uday Pal Singh and consisting of two assistant sub-inspectors and three constables.
Bittu demands FIR against cops
Calling the treatment meted out to him as “unacceptable” and “shameful”, the central minister demanded registration of an FIR against the city police team and a thorough investigation followed by strict disciplinary action against those responsible.
This high drama was witnessed after Bittu reached the Punjab chief minister’s residence to meet him and court arrest in protest against “false cases” registered by the Punjab Police against two of his close supporters in Ludhiana and Patiala. When he was not allowed to enter the chief minister’s residence, Bittu accused Mann of evading a meeting with him. “I have been repeatedly trying to seek time to meet him for the past several days, but there has been no reply. I am here to seek an inquiry into the ‘false’ FIRs registered against my supporters. He should come out or let meet me enter so that we discuss the issue, but he is running away from having a debate with me,” the BJP leader told the media.
The BJP leader has been upset over the registration of FIRs against his close aide Rajiv Raja in an extortion case and his Patiala-based supporter Rajesh Attri under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and accused the state government of “political vendetta.”
Bittu said that the chief minister used to say that his doors are open for everyone, but why the doors are closed today. “If a minister cannot meet the CM, we can very well imagine the plight of common people,” he said.
Minister did not seek prior permission: UT police
The Chandigarh Police, meanwhile, maintained that no prior permission had been sought by the minister for the meeting and that neither the police nor the chief minister’s office had been received any intimation about his visit. A senior police officer said they were “compelled to intervene to ensure security and maintain order at the CM’s residence.”
The officer clarified the action was necessitated by the presence of a large group of about 40 to 50 people, which included Bittu’s security personnel, near the CM residence.
“When Bittu was stopped at the main gate of CM residence, his cavalcade tried to enter through the back gate, due to which he was stopped again,” said the officer.
Multiple calls and messages to DSP Uday Pal Singh did not elicit any response.
