Punjab unit’s Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) vice-president Brig Jagdish Gagneja (retd), who was shot at by two bike-borne assailants in Jalandhar on Saturday, was in critical condition on Sunday.
Doctors at a private hospital here conducted a surgery to remove two bullets from Gagneja’s stomach. However, a third bullet is still lodged in his body. Seeing no improvement in his health, Gagneja was shifted to ludhiana-based Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, said sources.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Government constituted a four-member special investigation team (SIT), headed by DGP IPS Sahota, to probe the attack. The SIT — comprising Police Commissioner Arpit Shukla, Inspector General Counter Intelligence Jalandhar Neelabh Kishore and Assistant Inspector General Amarjit Singh Bajwa — managed to find the number of the motorcycle used by the assailants from CCTV footage.
"We are examining the CCTV footage at the spot and have found the number of the motorcycle. Two bike-borne assailants, aged around 20, were riding the bike and had covered their faces with a handkerchief. Their heads were covered with black and yellow 'patka' (a headwrap worn traditionally by Sikh boys)," said Arpit Shukla.
Shukla said: "We have formed 10 teams to probe the incident. CCTV footages along the various routes of the city are being scrutinised. All eyewitness accounts are also being recorded."
The BJP, which is part of the ruling alliance in Punjab, asked the Punjab Government to take stringent action against those involved in the murderous attack on Gagneja.
"We have asked the State Government to take this matter (attack on Gagneja) seriously and strict action should be taken against those who were behind this incident," BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh told reporters in Chandigarh.
The party also asked the State Government to find out why such incidents were happening. Punjab has seen attack on RSS volunteer in ludhiana in January, murder of Chand Kaur, wife of former head of Namdhari sect, in ludhiana in April and murderous attack on Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale in ludhiana in May.
Senior BJP leader and local MlA Manoranjan Kalia said, "Sah-sarsanghchalak of RSS's Punjab unit Jagdish Gagneja was operated till 2 am in a private hospital, after bullets hit his stomach, injuring him critically. While two bullets have been removed from his stomach, one is still trapped in his body around the liver."
The operation was conducted by a team of doctors under the supervision of Dr Jaspal from DMC ludhiana, who reached the hospital late on Saturday night on the orders of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, he added.
He said that a 'critical care team' is expected to reach ludhiana after he spoke to Union Health Minister JP Nadda.
"I have spoken to Union Health Minister JP Nadda and asked him to send a 'critical care team' to ensure better and proper treatment of Gagneja. Nadda has instructed Dr Yogesh Chawla, director PGIMER, Chandigarh," Kalia said.
All top Punjab BJP leaders, including party's national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna, state president Vijay Sampla, state party affairs' in-charge Prabhat Jha, Minister Anil Joshi, former BJP Punjab chief Kamal Sharma, CPS KD Bhandari and Jalandhar Central MlA Manoranjan Kalia, have been camping at the hospital since Saturday night.
Gagneja was shot at by two bike-borne persons at Jyoti Chowk area when he had gone shopping with his wife, leaving him seriously injured. Doctors at a private hospital conducted a surgery to remove two bullets from Gagneja's stomach. However, a third bullet was still lodged in his body.
Gagneja's daughter Ruchi, said: "My mother was in the car when the incident took place. She could not spot the assailants and just heard the sound of gun shots."
Brig Gagneja had served in Ferozepur as Commander of 7 Artillery Brigade before joining the RSS. He is one of the senior RSS leaders and has served as Prabudh (top ideologue). He has two daughters and a son, Rahul Gagneja, who is presently serving as Major in the Army. He is taken in high esteem by the BJP rank and file.
Meanwhile, security has been stepped up at the RSS office in Delhi in the wake of the attack on Gagneja. "A police team visited the RSS office in Jhandewalan here and sensitised functionaries about the security aspects following the Punjab incident," DCP (Central) of Delhi Police Paramditya said on Sunday.