Former Union minister and BJP leader Vijay Sampla was injured during a protest over damage to a Dr B.R. Ambedkar statue in Hoshiarpur’s Barian Kalan village on Wednesday, after a confrontation broke out between BJP and BSP workers.
The incident comes in run unto the State Assembly elections and days before the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to kickstart BJP campaign in Punjab.
According to reports from the spot, Sampla was allegedly hit in the face with a microphone during a scuffle. He suffered an injury near his nose, which resulted in bleeding, and also sustained scratches on his neck. He was reportedly slapped from behind during the confrontation.
Police personnel intervened after tensions escalated and separated the groups. Additional forces were deployed in the village to prevent any further disturbance and maintain law and order.
The protest was organised after unidentified persons allegedly damaged an Ambedkar statue in Barian Kalan during the early hours of Tuesday. Police said stones were allegedly thrown at the statue, damaging its face and one of its fingers.
The incident prompted members of the BSP and other groups to gather at the site and demand action against those responsible. Police have registered a case against unidentified persons and are examining CCTV footage from the area to establish the sequence of events and identify those involved.
Sampla reached the protest site at around 11 am along with Punjab BJP SC Morcha president Sheetal Angural and Hoshiarpur BJP district president Nitin Gupta Nannu.
A disagreement reportedly began over the use of a microphone. According to accounts emerging from the spot, Sampla initially attempted to take a microphone from a speaker but was not given it. He later received a wireless microphone from someone in the crowd and began addressing the gathering.
A young man allegedly took the microphone away, leading to a scuffle. During the confrontation, Sampla was allegedly struck with the microphone. The person accused of attacking him reportedly fled the scene by jumping over a nearby wall. The incident also resulted in a confrontation between workers of the BJP and BSP.
Police subsequently moved in to disperse the groups and restore order. Authorities have maintained a heavy police presence in the village while the investigation continues.
