A BJP MLA was allegedly thrashed by farmers who stripped the legislator’s clothes and threw ink at him in Punjab’s Malout town on Saturday.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which is leading the farmers’ protest, condemned the attack.
The Abohar MLA, Arun Narang, was accosted near the party office where he was going to hold a news conference.
A large number of farmers gathered there beat him up and tore his clothes before the police could pull him away.
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. The 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.
“This agitation of farmers, under adverse circumstances, turned violent and the MLA was physically assaulted…. We strongly condemn this act,’’ the Morcha said.
BJP leaders have faced repeated protests in Punjab and Haryana and villages in western Uttar Pradesh, where they are seen as anti-farmer.
“The central leadership of the BJP is rooted in its ego and instead of solving the problems of the farmers, they are busy in the elections, but local leaders are facing the bitter results of this behaviour of the central government,” the Morcha said.