Madhya Pradesh police lathi-charged a group of Bajrang Dal activists and arrested 11 of them in Indore when they were holding a sit-in protest, reported PTI. The agitation was over the registration of "false" cases against the outfit's members for complaining against those involved in the illegal drug trade, an official said on Friday, as quoted by PTI. He said that the incident took place late night on Thursday.
The Bajrang Dal workers were staging a sit-in protest at Palasia square, which led to a traffic jam. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that some Bajrang Dal members also suffered injuries in the lathi-charge. The saffron party-led state government said it has taken cognisance of the protest and the police action, and ordered an inquiry into the entire episode.
"A group of Bajrang Dal activists suddenly gathered at the busy intersection without any permission and staged a sit-in protest, leading to traffic jams on all four roads. When the protesters refused to budge despite repeated appeals by the police, they were moved away from the spot using mild force," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dharmendra Singh Bhadoria said, as quoted by PTI.
He said that eleven protesters were arrested under Section 151 (preventive arrest to prevent commission of a cognizable offence) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
He further added that five police personnel suffered injuries while trying to control the Bajrang Dal activists. The officials said that during the 'chakka jam' protest, some people also hurled stones at the cops. He said that appropriate legal action was being taken in this connection.
PTI reported that eyewitnesses said the hour-long sit-in by the Bajrang Dal activists disrupted the traffic movement leading to long queues of vehicles at the Palasia intersection.
BJP claimed that 11 Bajrang Dal workers were injured in the police lathi-charge.
"Bajrang Dal activists were brutally lathi-charged by the police, which led to 11 persons suffering injuries," BJP's Indore unit president Gaurav Randive told PTI.
He sought appropriate action be taken against the guilty police personnel after an inquiry into the incident.
Talking to reporters in Bhopal on the incident, state Home Minister and government spokesperson Narottam Mishra said he has taken cognisance of the incident.
"We have also taken cognizance of the police action against the protesters and decided to send an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)-level officer to probe all issues related to it. We have also ordered that the in-charge of the police station concerned be line-attached (removed from field duty)," he said.