Naresh Kumar/ Sangrur/Mansa
A major road accident occurred near Mansa on Wednesday during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, leaving one person dead and five others injured. The BJP subsequently suspended its yatra following the accident.
According to the information available, the accident took place at around 1 pm when BJP leaders were returning towards Mansa after attending a rally at Jhuneer town. Their Swift car collided head-on with a truck near village Kot Dharam. The front portion of the car was badly damaged in the collision.
Six BJP workers, including party district vice-president Vinod Kali, were travelling in the car. An SF team reached the spot and shifted some of the injured to the civil hospital, while others were taken to hospitals in private vehicles. District BJP vice-president’s condition stated to be serious
Senior BJP leader H.S. Phoolka said 23-year-old Arshdeep Singh died in the accident. District BJP vice-president Vinod Kali was seriously injured and was referred to the DMC Hospital in Ludhiana. The other injured persons were shifted to AIIMS Bathinda for treatment. The injured have been identified as Vinod Kali, Sunil Kumar, Bhim, Mohit Singla and Navdeep Singh.
Truck driver flees spot
CCTV footage of the accident has also surfaced, reportedly showing the car colliding with the truck. The truck was going from Mansa towards Sardulgarh. The truck driver allegedly fled the spot after the accident.
The incident has raised suspicion among BJP workers, with some expressing apprehension that the accident could have been a deliberate act by opponents. However, the circumstances and cause of the collision are yet to be established by the police investigation. Arshdeep Singh and injured Navdeep Singh were real brothers and residents of village Ramditte Balak.
Following the accident, the BJP postponed its scheduled rallies in Mansa and Boha. Arshdeep had joined BJP this year
Arshdeep Singh had studied up to Class 12 and had joined the BJP earlier this year. He was working in a private job with a feed company. He is survived by his parents, a brother and a sister.
