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Cong, BJP supporters clash during Ranchi protest
Trouble started when a large number of Congress workers marched towards the state BJP headquarters to protest the NEET paper leak issue.
A few people, including a couple of mediapersons and policemen, were injured on Thursday after Congress and BJP workers allegedly hurled stones and eggs at each other during a protest in Ranchi. Accusing each other of resorting to violence, both sides registered complaints with Argora police station seeking penal action against opposing leaders.
Trouble started when a large number of Congress workers marched towards the state BJP headquarters to protest the NEET paper leak issue. The Congress supporters raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The police had barricaded the road leading to the BJP office and erected additional barricades near the party office for extra protection.
The presence of the Congress workers and the sloganeering soon led to a situation where BJP workers also took to the streets to counter the Congress supporters. Even as the police made their best efforts to keep the two sides apart, both sides started hurling eggs, tomatoes and water bottles at each other, followed by stones. Amid the protest, a few workers also came to blows before the police used mild force to disperse the crowd.
A police officer said elaborate security arrangements were put in place, including barricades and deployment of a large number of personnel.
“We are identifying the persons from both sides who hurled eggs, stones and tomatoes. CCTV camera footage will be examined to identify more people,” Ranchi SP (Rural) Gaurav Goswami told reporters.
BJP and Congress claimed around 10 persons, including two journalists, were injured in the incident.
Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu accused Congress workers of hurling stones at the saffron party supporters. “Politics does not mean pelting stones in a democracy. BJP workers, staying within limits, were just responding to the Congress protest. But the Congress workers hurled stones at our workers in front of the police administration, injuring many of them,” Sahu claimed.
While Sahu claimed that no BJP workers pelted stones at the Congress supporters, the grand old party, however, blamed saffron party workers for hurling stones at its workers.
“We were holding a peaceful protest to press for our demands, including the resignation of Pradhan. Several of our workers were injured following the pelting of stones from the BJP side,” Ranchi Congress president Kumar Raja alleged.
