Ghaziabad: Congress leaders booked for carrying out ‘protest’

The leaders said that they were going to nearby Sihani Gate police station to hand over a memorandum to the police against remarks made by Bidhuri

Ghaziabad police booked several Congress leaders and 25-30 unidentified others for carrying out an alleged protest march from their office in Navyug Market to Old Bus Stand protest recent remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Bidhuri against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi.

The FIR stated that Congress leaders allegedly marched from their Navyug Market office towards the Old Bus Stand while raising slogans. (HT Photo)

The FIR was registered after the police took cognisance of the march and filed a complaint at the Sihani Gate police station on January 8. The FIR named Congress’ district president, Vinit Tyagi, and six other party leaders, besides 25-30 others unidentified.

The FIR was filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 223(a) (disobedience of order promulgated by public servant) and 235 (danger or obstruction in public way) at Sihani Gate police station.

The FIR stated that Congress leaders allegedly marched from their Navyug Market office towards the Old Bus Stand while raising slogans.

“The FIR was filed as prohibitory orders are already in place, and the Congress leaders and their supporters were holding a march towards the Sihani Gate police station. The investigation is underway,” said Rajesh Kumar, DCP (city).

Congress leaders said that they were going to nearby Sihani Gate police station to hand over a memorandum to the police against remarks made by Bidhuri.

“In the memorandum, we wanted to urge police to initiate legal action against the BJP leader. We were walking to the Sihani Gate police station from our party office in a peaceful manner. There was no protest whatsoever. The police instead filed an FIR, and it is just to muzzle our voices. They do not act against politicians and influential people of the BJP. The FIR against the Congress leaders is just filed to snatch away our right to protest in a peaceful manner. We will take legal recourse against this,” Tyagi said.

The prohibitory orders are in place after an order was issued on January 7. The assembly of five or more persons without permission is not allowed and the political parties should not carry out any protest or procession without prior permission.