Protesters hurl eggs at Advani's rath, wave black flags

Bhatinda, Nov 13: BJP leader L K Advani's yatra met a hostile reception in Punjab on Sunday, with protesters hurling eggs at his 'rath' and waving black flags, briefly disrupting his convoy's journey in the state, where the party is in power along with Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

A 30-40-strong group of protesters belonging to Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and some Muslim organisations staged protests near village Sanghera while the yatra was on its way to Barnala.

The protesters, who came out from the fields along the road, hurled eggs at Advani's rath while showing black flags, leading to halting of the cavalcade to clean the modified bus in which the BJP leader is travelling during his yatra against corruption.

The protesters belonging to SAD(Amritsar), which is led by Simranjit Singh Mann, shouted slogans in support of Khalistan and against Advani when the rath passed through Bathinda and Sangrur districts.

As many as 30 protesters belonging to SAD(A) along with their district president Parminder Singh Ballianwali were detained as a precautionary measure and sent to Kotfatta police Station, police sources said.

Another group of protesters from a Muslim organisation headed by Nagina Begum was among those who staged protests against the yatra.

Advani's yatra was welcomed as it entered from Haryana border in Dabhwali by SAD(B) MP Harsimrat Kaur, wife of SAD chief and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

PTI