States » NorthPosted at: Sep 16 2026 6:55PM


Former union minister Vijay Sampla attacked during Ambedkar statue protest in Punjab

Chandigarh, Sep 16 (UNI) Former union minister and BJP leader Vijay Sampla was injured on Wednesday after allegedly being struck with a microphone during a protest over the vandalism of a B.R. Ambedkar statue in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, triggering a clash between BJP and Bahujan Samaj Party workers.
Sampla suffered bleeding near his nose and scratches on his neck during the confrontation at Barian Kalan village. Police intervened to separate the two groups and deployed additional personnel as tension continued in the area.
There was no immediate police confirmation on the identity or arrest of the person who allegedly attacked Sampla.
The clash came a day after unidentified persons allegedly threw stones at an Ambedkar statue near the village grain market, damaging parts of it. Hoshiarpur police have registered a case against unidentified persons and are examining CCTV footage and videos circulating on social media to identify those responsible.
Sampla reached Barian Kalan around 11 am along with Punjab BJP SC Morcha president Sheetal Angural and Hoshiarpur district BJP president Nitin Gupta Nannu. BSP workers were already protesting at the site.
The situation turned tense during the speeches when Sampla approached a speaker and offered to answer questions.
“Tell me what question you want to ask. I will answer it,” Sampla said, according to the account provided.
An argument followed. BJP workers raised slogans in support of their party while BSP workers responded with slogans of their own.
Sampla then sought a microphone to address the gathering. The speaker holding it declined to hand it over, after which someone in the crowd gave Sampla a wireless microphone.
“This is not working,” Sampla said before it was switched on and returned to him.
As Sampla began speaking, a man allegedly snatched the microphone and struck him with it after the BJP leader resisted, according to the account of the incident. A scuffle followed, and the alleged attacker escaped by scaling a nearby wall.
Sampla was also allegedly slapped from behind during the melee. Angural and Gupta were involved in separate scuffles with protesters before police moved in and separated the groups.
Punjab BSP president Avtar Singh Karimpuri, who also reached the village, said BSP workers have been protesting peacefully and maintained that they have the right to raise political slogans.
“We raised slogans, which is our right,” Karimpuri said, questioning whether BSP workers could not raise slogans against the AAP and BJP.
He said maintaining law and order is the responsibility of Hoshiarpur police and pointed out that BJP leaders have arrived at the protest carrying party flags.
Meanwhile, police are separately investigating the vandalism of the Ambedkar statue that triggered the protest.
Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Navneet Singh Mahal said unidentified persons allegedly threw stones at the statue in the early hours of Tuesday.Police said the statue's raised-hand finger was damaged. Local reports also differed over whether parts of the face or spectacles were damaged and the extent of the vandalism.
The Barian Kalan incident comes days after another case involving an Ambedkar statue in Ludhiana triggered protests and shutdowns in parts of Punjab, including Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.
Karimpuri has announced a BSP demonstration on September 18 over the repeated incidents involving Ambedkar statues in the state.
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