Durg, Aug 27 (PTI) Police on Tuesday resorted to baton-charge to disperse Congress workers in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district where they staged a protest against blocking of the motorcade of their party leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel allegedly by Bajrang Dal activists.
The workers of the opposition party had staged the demonstration without obtaining permission from the administration, police said, adding an officer was injured in a shuffle with agitators.
As many as 16 persons involved in blocking the convoy of the senior Congress leader were identified and arrested on Monday, an official said.
On August 24, Baghel had claimed that members of the Bajrang Dal stopped his convoy at Sirsa Gate square in Old Bhilai police station area when he was on his way to Durg to take part in a protest against the arrest of Congress’ Bhilai MLA Devendra Yadav.
They hurled profanities at his security personnel, pushed them and also raised slogans against him, the former CM had said.
Baghel had alleged the ruling BJP was using its workers to target leaders of the opposition.
Based on a complaint of Baghel’s personal security officer, police had registered a case against unidentified activists of the Bajrang Dal.
Congress leaders on Monday informed police they will stage a demonstration and gherao (lay siege) the police station if the those involved in blocking the convoy of the former CM were not arrested within 48 hours. They were told to seek permission from authorities for the protest, said Durg Superintendent of Police (SP) Jitendra Shukla.
Meanwhile, 16 persons involved in blocking the convoy of the senior Congress leader were identified and arrested on Monday. They were later released on bail from police station as the offences against them were bailable, he said.
Congress workers staged a protest on Tuesday without obtaining permission and marched towards the Old Bhilai police station, stating they were going to just hand over a memorandum listing their demands. But when they tried to cross barricades set up on the way to the police station, law enforcement personnel used “mild” force to disperse the mob, Shukla said.
A police officer sustained injuries on his nose in a scuffle with agitators, he said.
In a related development, police have lodged two FIRs against chairperson of Bhilai-Charoda municipal corporation and Congress leader Krishna Chandrakar and his five associates for allegedly assaulting two men on suspicion of their involvement in blocking the convoy of Baghel, police said.
Chandrakar and his associates allegedly thrashed the two men and brought them to the Old Bhilai police station where they again assaulted the duo, they said.
Based on complaints of the victims, two separate FIRs were lodged against their attackers, the police said.
Former CM Baghel slammed the ruling BJP and police for using force against party workers when they were staging a peaceful protest.
In a series of post on his X handle, he said, “In Bhilai-3, the workers who were heading to submit a memorandum after a peaceful march were chased and thrashed by the police. So now the BJP government cannot even tolerate peaceful demonstrations? This is the democratic right of the people. The BJP government and specially the bureaucrats who are following their orders should listen carefully that lathicharge on Congress workers will not be forgotten.” “Don’t forget (referring to police), every blow of the cane boosts the morale of Congress workers. We are Gandhians. We have unshakable faith in democracy. One question still remains — when will action be taken against the hooligans of Bajrang Dal?”, Baghel said. PTI COR TKP RSY
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