‘Kejriwal made me homeless, got midnight notice to pay Rs 2 cr in rent’, BJP’s Ravneet Bittu alleges AAP ploy to stop him from filing nomination

Bittu filed his nomination in the presence of former Gujarat chief minister and BJP’s Punjab affairs in-charge Vijay Rupani, amid slogans of “Jai Sri Ram” and “Sat Sri Akal”. BJP workers also raised the slogan “iss vaar 400 paar, assi hain Modi da parivaar (this time more than 400 seats, we are Modi’s family)”.

Bittu, the grandson of veteran Congressman and slain Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, is looking for a third consecutive win from Ludhiana this time.

In 2014 and 2019, he was elected from Ludhiana on a Congress ticket but recently, he switched to the BJP. A three-time MP, he had won his first MP election from Anandpur Sahib in 2009 on a Congress ticket.

Like previous elections in 2014 and 2019, on Friday too, Bittu symbolically took a short ride in the 1985-model white Ambassador vehicle of his late grandfather, which he considers his lucky charm.

Earlier in the day, Bittu paid obeisance at Gurdwara Dukhnivaran Sahib and Durga Mata Mandir (Jagraon bridge) before proceeding to file his nomination. He was accompanied by his mother Jasbir Kaur, wife Anupama Jhajj, son Simar, sister Apandeep Kaur and other family members.

‘Scared AAP has thrown me out of house, snatched my home, land’

After there was an unusual delay in his nomination filing, Bittu alleged that the ruling AAP government tried to stop his nomination by issuing him a notice for the pending arrears of his official residence in Ludhiana, a night before the nominations. Bittu claimed that the house was allotted to him way back in 2016.

Bittu said, “They sent me a notice Thursday night that arrears close to Rs 2 crore were pending which I had to pay. The house was allotted to me in 2016 during the SAD-BJP government due to security reasons. I contested two elections (in 2017 and 2019) but no notice was ever given earlier. I had also cleared electricity and water bills. They have now levied rent of Rs 1 lakh per month since 2016 with some additional costs taking the total to nearly Rs 2 crore.”

He added, “How can a person have this huge amount ready at midnight? I had to pledge my ancestral agricultural land at my native village Kotla Afghana to pay the dues and get the NOC issued without which I couldn’t have filed nomination.”

Bittu said that the AAP government was so scared that they have thrown him out of the house.”But I fear none. From tonight itself I will be putting my cot in the BJP office and sleeping there. I am the grandson of Beant Singh who gave up his life for Punjab and this country.”

“Why was I never issued notice earlier about my pending arrears while every month, the corporation was charging electricity and the water bills? I am a Z-plus protectee. Throwing me out of the house by claiming the arrears seems like a design of anti-national forces,” he said.

However, the district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said, “The nomination was delayed as his lawyer who had files was stuck in traffic. Whatever shortcomings in nomination papers are found, it is duly informed to candidates and they are also given time to respond. The pending house arrears are under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation commissioner.”

In this most keenly watched Lok Sabha battle in Punjab, Bittu is pitted against Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who has declared that the fight is that of “gaddari (betrayal) vs vafadari (loyalty).”

Since 2009, the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat has been won by Congress, once by Manish Tewari and twice by Bittu.

AAP trying to thwart BJP candidates from filing nominations: Rupani

Meanwhile, Rupani today accused the ruling AAP of trying to thwart BJP candidates from filing their nominations.

Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar, Rupani said that Bittu was sent a notice for recovery of pending house dues on WhatsApp at midnight a day before he was to file his nomination.

“The authorities in Punjab were aware that Bittu was to file his nomination on Friday. At 11.55 pm on Thursday, he was sent a notice for recovery of pending Rs 1.82 crore dues by the local bodies department. An NOC is required from the department which was not possible without payment of this huge amount,” Rupani said.

Alleging a conspiracy, Rupani said that Bittu had applied for NOC on May 4 which was not given.
“Which government department works at midnight and sends notices? The AAP is frustrated. We had to wait for several hours today to get the NOC after our candidate cleared the dues with difficulty,” he said, adding that the BJP has brought the issue to the notice of the CEO Punjab.

‘Homeless’ Bittu reaches BJP office to sleep

Bittu reached BJP’s election office late Friday and said he would sleep on the mattresses laid on the ground. Bittu, while going live on Facebook, said that AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was an “autocrat” who snatched “roof over his head and a piece of his ancestral land which his late grandfather (Beant Singh) had left for him.”
“But till I have the support of people of Ludhiana, I can sleep anywhere,” said Bittu.