Ludhiana: Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa today had a direct face-off with agitating party workers, who were demanding his removal and asking him to go back, here.
The situation took an ugly turn outside a hotel in busy Feroze Gandhi Market, where Bajwa accompanied by party secretary in-charge for Punjab Harish Chaudhary came for lunch.
The protesters blocked his vehicle. One of them lifted the wiper from the windshield and stuck a poster on it, reading, "Partap Bajwa go back" and "Bajwa Hatao, Congress Bachao" (remove Bajwa, save Congress). The protesters also showed him black flags.
There was also a minor scuffle between the protesters and his supporters.
Pradeep Kumar, one of the protesters alleged that he was manhandled by Bajwa supporters while he was peacefully raising the slogans.
An irritated Bajwa tried to avoid the protesters and rushed inside the hotel. Bajwa, who has been here for last four days, has been facing regular protests.
While his first day marked the launching of the signature campaign for his removal, the subsequent days were marked by protests and burning of his effigies.
Today, however, the protesters directly confronted him with black flags, banners and posters asking him to go back and urging the party high command to remove him to save the party in Punjab.
When Bajwa was confronted by media at the hotel about the treatment meted out to him by his party men, he shot back "I have not invited media here" while refusing to make any statement on the issue.
