BJP MLA Arun Narang thrashed, stripped by farmers

Muktsar, Mar 27: Angry over notorious farm laws, a large number of farmers allegedly thrashed BJP MLA from Abohar Arun Narang, tore his clothes, stripped and threw black ink on him at Malout in Muktsar district of Punjab today.

Narang had come to Malout to hold a press conference against the state government.

The farmers were, however, already waiting for him near the BJP office. As soon as Narang reached there in his car, the farmers gheraoed him and threw ink on him. They also blackened his car.

The cops and BJP workers then took Narang inside a shop. However, when Narang came out, the farmers allegedly attacked him with full force, even tore his clothes. 

In some videos viral on social media, cops are seen saving Narang from the farmers, who, however, continued abusing and thrashing him. Meanwhile, some other BJP leaders too were thrashed by the farmers. Party office was also ransacked.

BJP leaders were again taken inside a shop. After a few minutes, the police took them out from the backdoor of the shop and shifted to a safer place.

Sources said a senior police officer too suffered minor injury during the scuffle as the melee continued nearly an hour.

The saffron party leaders could not even reach the BJP office in Malout, where they were scheduled to hold a press conference at 3 pm. The farmers reportedly also burnt the party flags in the BJP office.

At the time of filing this report, the farmers were dispersing from the spot.

In November last year, the farmers had gheraoed Narang at Tarmala village in Lambi Assembly segment here.

Two days ago, the farmers had gheraoed senior BJP leader-cum-former cabinet minister Surjit Jyani in Bathinda. A number of senior BJP leaders, including state president Ashwani Sharma and former state president Vijay Sampla, too have faced the farmers’ protest in the recent past.

Muktsar SSP D Sudarvizhi said, "We will investigate the entire incident and will then take an action."

On the alleged police failure in preventing the situation from taking an ugly turn, she said, "We will verify what were the circumstances when the MLA was brought out from the shop."