A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth summit in Payal town of Ludhiana district witnessed violent clashes on Sunday, as party cadres threw chairs, tables, rods, and even turbans at each other in the presence of senior vice-president and national executive member, Harjit Singh Grewal.
Videos of the incident, circulating widely on social media, depict chaotic scenes with BJP workers engaging in physical altercations, despite police presence at the event.
Harjit Singh Grewal, presiding over the booth summit for the Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, recounted the events leading up to the violence.
“A dispute arose when a local leader insisted on addressing the gathering. Despite the scheduled speaking slots being reserved for senior leaders, this individual attempted to join them on stage. Altercations ensued, leading to physical confrontations and the hurling of objects,” Grewal explained.
Bhupinder Singh Cheema, the BJP Khanna district president, corroborated Grewal’s account, identifying Gulzar Singh, the husband of the party’s women’s wing district president, Jasvir Kaur, as the instigator.
“Gulzar Singh, seated among the audience, demanded speaking time on stage. When denied, he turned violent, throwing chairs and tables at others,” Cheema stated, adding that two colleagues sustained injuries from the objects thrown and were subsequently hospitalized.
In contrast, Jasvir Kaur, president of Khanna Mahila Morcha, claimed that her husband was the victim of an unprovoked assault by Cheema’s associates.
“We were attempting to submit a list of new members and arrange a group photograph. Despite repeated requests, our concerns were ignored. Subsequently, my husband was violently attacked on stage, abused, and even had his turban tossed,” Kaur alleged.
Payal DSP Nikhil Garg confirmed that the police intervened to control the situation. However, no FIR has been registered as of yet, pending a formal written complaint from the involved parties.