The Chhattisgarh Police registered a first information report against 12 Congress leaders and workers following violent clashes during a BJP-led demonstration near the Congress state headquarters, Rajiv Bhavan, on Wednesday, police said.
The FIR accuses state Congress workers of throwing stones, bottles, wooden sticks, shoes and other objects at police personnel during the protest.
The violence occurred when Congress workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had been picketing at the party’s state headquarters, faced off in a reciprocal protest following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demonstration near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi.
The Congress claimed that the violence was a “deliberate attack orchestrated by the BJP government under police protection”. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused BJP workers, including ministers, of attacking the Congress headquarters, and alleged that the police used water cannons on Congress workers instead of restraining the BJP protesters.
Baghel said several Congress workers and journalists were injured in the incident and questioned the police move to register an FIR against Congress workers over the planned attack by the BJP which was carried out under police protection.
Police set up barricades to prevent BJP workers from marching to the Congress office. Tensions escalated after BJP workers tried to cross the barricades, prompting police to use water cannons and tear gas bombs.
Congress workers also gathered on the other side of the barricades, leading to a brief standoff.
According to the FIR filed by Khamardhi police station SHO Pawesh Kumar Gautam, the police personnel were trying to maintain law and order when the Congress workers allegedly walked towards the barricades, ignored repeated calls to remain peaceful, and clashed with the police personnel and abused them.
The FIR alleged that Congress workers threw bottles, stones, wooden sticks and shoes at police personnel. She claimed that one of the officers, Devraj Singh, sustained a head injury, while constable Seema Bangari sustained injuries on her hand.
A case has been registered under Sections 191 (rioting), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharging his duty), 221 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his duty), and 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his official duty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the police said.
The FIR names 12 Congress leaders and workers, including Sunil Kokria, Vinod Tiwari, Sakleen Kamdar, Akash Tiwari and Honey Bagga.
Two police personnel were taken to hospital and 13 others sustained minor injuries, Gautam said.
