Headlines
Youth Congress, BJYM clash: Himachal governor summons DGP
Shimla, Jan 30
Himachal Pradesh Governor
Kalyan Singh Friday summoned Director General of Police Sanjay Kumar
and sought a report on the clash Thursday between activists of the Youth
Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha here.
At least 12
activists of both the groups were injured during the Youth Congress'
protest here Thursday against the central government's land acquisition
ordinance.
Official sources told IANS that besides the DGP, the
governor summoned Additional Director General S.R. Mardi and
Superintendent of Police D.W. Negi, seeking the report on the incident.
Earlier
in the day, leaders of the opposition BJP met Kalyan Singh here and
submitted a memorandum, demanding dismissal of the government over the
reported attack on its activists by the Youth Congress workers led by
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's son.
Everyone has the right to
protest in a democracy but what was the justification for the Youth
Congress activists to hold a protest against the central government's
decision at the state BJP's office, said the memorandum.
It
seemed that it was a conspiracy as the protest was led by Chief Minister
Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh, who is also the state Youth
Congress president, it said.
The memorandum was submitted by the BJP legislators led by two-time chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Activists
of both the Youth Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha were
injured Thursday during the protest against the central government's
land acquisition ordinance, the police said.
During the demonstration, the Youth Congress activists smashed the windowpanes of the BJP's party office.
"This
incident happened at the direction of the chief minister as the
protesters were carrying sticks, stones and empty bottles. Though, it
was in the knowledge of the police chief, no step was taken to prevent
the incident. In fact, the BJP activists were lathi-charged," it said.
Twelve activists of the BJP were injured in the clash, it added.
The BJP, through the two-page memorandum, also demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee condemned the clash.
State
Congress chief spokesperson Naresh Chauhan said the Youth Congress
workers under its president Vikramaditya Singh were staging a peaceful
protest at the BJP office to protest against the ordinance.
"The
BJP leaders seems to be looking for some issue which was the reason that
the party workers resorted to stone-pelting in a pre-planned manner on
Youth Congress workers who were holding peaceful protest," Chauhan said
in a statement.
Chauhan said Youth Congress president Vikramditya
Singh had even informed former chief minister and Leader of Opposition
Dhumal about the protest and had assured him of a peaceful
demonstration.
"But the BJP workers tried to defeat the purpose
of this protest by pelting stones on the Youth Congress workers which
led to the clash between BJP and Youth Congress workers," he added.