Hoshiarpur, September 16:- “The attack on me was carried out by hired operatives at the behest of the Punjab government. The Punjab Police should immediately arrest these miscreants in this matter and expose the entire conspiracy behind the attack.” These are the words of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union Minister Vijay Sampla.
Some people attacked Sampla in Barian Kalan village of Chabbewal Assembly constituency in Hoshiarpur district when he had reached there to participate in a protest organised against the desecration of a statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Speaking to the media after the attack, Vijay Sampla said that whenever a major issue arises in Punjab, incidents of desecration and vandalism of statues of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar start coming to light. He said this was the third or fourth such incident in Hoshiarpur. He added that several such incidents had also taken place in Punjab during the past few days.
He said that at a time when the government was facing questions over cases such as the suicide of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur and the alleged beating of Mohanjeet Singh in custody, the tampering with Baba Saheb’s statue pointed towards a deep conspiracy.
Vijay Sampla said that although Bahujan Samaj Party flags were present at the stage where he was targeted, he believed that the incident had taken place at the behest of the Punjab government because the police present there remained silent spectators.
However, Vijay Sampla also clarified that since BSP flags were present on the stage, they also had responsibility for the incident.
He said that the people who attacked him did not know him personally. However, they were conducting the proceedings at the stage. Therefore, they would not be unknown to the local police. The police should arrest them immediately.
What Happened During the Incident
Vijay Sampla said that on September 15, when he received information about the vandalism of Baba Saheb’s statue in Barian Kalan, he informed the administration and reached there today. When he reached the spot, the media also arrived to speak to him. During this time, some people managing the stage raised personal slogans against the BJP and Vijay Sampla and made objectionable remarks.
After this, he asked the DSP present at the spot to stop the people who were trying to disturb the atmosphere. The DSP also stopped them. After this, Sampla went towards the stage.
During this time, it was announced from the stage that they wanted to question Vijay Sampla. But when he went on the stage and tried to speak into the microphone, he was pushed and manhandled. One person struck him from the front, while another attacked him from behind. However, party workers covered and protected him.