Congress’s state president Raja Warring, member of parliament from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu, ex MLAs Sanjay Talwar, Surinder Dawar were amongst others including women wing leaders.
The leaders were demanding release of Ashu, who according to them, has been arrested under political vendetta. Interestingly, one of the woman wing leader threatened to remain on hunger strike until Ashu was released. One of the congress worker even tore his clothes as mark of protest against Ashu’s arrest.
Meanwhile, in other high voltage drama that took place few minutes before the protest, MP Ravneet Singh Bittu created ruckus at the salon shop where from Ashu was arrested.
In a video which went viral on social media, he is seen entering into a spat with the vigilance sleuths who had come to arrest Ashu.
Terming the attempt by vigilance to arrest Ashu as illegal, Bittu demanded that vigilance team did not have valid warrants to arrest Ashu and the team was merely acting on the instructions of Aam Admi Party (AAP) leaders and Ashu will depose before Vigilance at his own will.
Along with shouting loudly at vigilance team, Bittu also dared them to arrest Ashu, however the latter left with the team for vigilance office.
Meanwhile, addressing the media persons, Bittu said, “We had come to know on August 18 itself that the vigilance has registered a case against Ashu after which they will arrest him and force him to admit to the false charges being levelled against him under political conspiracy hatched by AAP. So our party decided that Ashu will himself depose before the vigilance when asked to, even today we along with him went to Vigilance headquarters in Mohali to urge them to arrest him if they had anything against him. After receiving no response from the officials we returned back to Ludhiana but to our utter shock, dozens of plain clothed people claiming themselves to be vigilance officials tried to arrest him.”
Buttu said that when they asked them to show their ID card or any warrants to arrest of Ashu, they started arguing with them.
“This arrest is totally unjustified and drama enacted by AAP in wake of Himachal Pradesh elections. But our party will leave no stone unturned to expose this evil plan hatched by AAP and we will do what it takes to get our ex minister released who is being implicated falsely.”