Dehradun, Feb 21 (PTI) A scuffle broke out on Saturday at the Directorate of Elementary Education here between its director and supporters of BJP MLA Umesh Sharma alias ‘Kau’ over changing of name of a school, leaving the official with injuries.
A video of the purported incident has also surfaced on the internet. Denying the allegations of assault, Sharma said that the video also shows him sitting and explaining things to the people.
Police said an FIR under sections 121(1) (causing hurt to a public servant), 191(2) (unlawful assembly), 324(3) (loss or damage to property), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 352 (provoking breach of peace) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered at Raipur police station against the MLA and other unknown people.
Director Ajay Kumar Naudiyal told PTI that the MLA had come to his office seeking information regarding the renaming of a primary school, and when he explained to them that the matter is pending at the government level.
The legislator and his supporters became enraged and began fighting, Naudiyal claimed.
“Items on the office table were thrown at me. I suffered a head injury and my glasses were broken,” he said.
Naudiyal claimed that two days earlier, some people had come to him regarding the same matter and had been informed of the procedure.
BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt said that we do not consider the incident to be justified at all, and misbehaviour with a public servant is not at all appropriate.
Sharma said that the family, who donated their land for the construction of the school, wishes it to be named after their family member, Padam Singh Rawat, and has been making rounds for the past seven to eight months regarding the matter.
Sharma said that Naudiyal had informed the family that he had sent a letter to the government in this regard. However, when he personally inquired with the Secretary of Elementary Education, he denied that any such file had been received.
The MLA stated that he went to the director’s office and asked for a copy of the letter he had submitted to the government.
Instead of handing over the letter, the officer called some people to his room, after which the scuffle broke out.
The MLA claimed that he had a gunman with him, and if they had not stopped him, he too could have been attacked.
Regarding the officer’s injuries, Sharma said, “The people who assaulted him will tell us about the injuries, because we are trying to stop them. They are either members of his staff or people who work with him.” Following the incident, employees of the Directorate began a protest on the road and claimed that the MLA’s supporters also mistreated female employees.
Shoiba, who works at the Directorate, told PTI, “When our head isn’t safe, how can we be safe?” The Director’s personal secretary, Vinod Payal, said that the MLA arrived with 40-50 of his supporters.
He alleged that the staff was thrown out and the “room was locked from inside”.
Refuting the claims, Sharma said, “I went with only six people. We did not assault anyone. The people seen throwing chairs and telephones in the video are the director’s men. If we had planned to go, a larger number of people would have accompanied us.” The State Teachers’ Union also condemned the incident.
Union president Ram Singh Chauhan said that a “history-sheeter” was also present with the MLA.
He said, “If action is not taken, we will consider closing all offices.” Sharma denied the claims, saying that the person is “someone who donated land for the school and not someone with a criminal background”.
Meanwhile, the Congress alleged that an atmosphere of anarchy has prevailed in the state and that infighting is raging within the BJP.
State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal said, “The official who was assaulted is very close to Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat. And that is why there was an altercation. The situation within the BJP is such that people don’t like to see each other.” He said that this is a state of anarchy where, on one hand, the morale of criminals is so high, while on the other hand, MLAs from the ruling party are taking the law into their own hands.
Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat said, “No public representative should behave in this manner. Violence has no place in a democracy. If officials are not listening, there are channels available to reach the chief minister and ministers.” PTI DPT DHR APL APL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.