Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday hit out at Gujarat Police for publicly flogging men accused of pelting stones at a Garba event in Kheda district, saying the police have become judge, jury and executioner. Referring to the recent "bulldozer action" in BJP-ruled states and police baton-charging suspects in various cases, the former Union minister said “all that remains is hanging.”
“When the police does that, India will complete its transformation into a civilised modern state,” Chidambaram said in a tweet.
A mob consisting of members from the Muslim community pelted stones at a Garba event after objecting to holding the programme near a mosque in Gujarat's Kheda district, police said on Tuesday. The suspects were arrested for allegedly pelting stones at participants at the Garba celebration on Monday night in Undhela village of Kheda district.
A major row erupted after video clips purportedly showing three suspects being brought out of a police van near the event's venue surfaced on social media. Police baton-charged the suspected attackers by holding them against an electric pole in the village square in full public view.
{{/usCountry}}A major row erupted after video clips purportedly showing three suspects being brought out of a police van near the event's venue surfaced on social media. Police baton-charged the suspected attackers by holding them against an electric pole in the village square in full public view.
{{/usCountry}}They were then taken towards an electric pole and held against it by a policeman who pulled their hands. Another policeman is seen hitting them below the waist with a baton. The images showed the alleged attackers apologised to the public gathered at the spot with folded hands after policemen asked them to do so while people present in a large number at the site cheered the police action.
In Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district, stones were hurled at a Garba pandal following a dispute between two groups, according to police. A total of 19 persons were booked and the houses of three of them were razed by officials for "illegal" construction.
"After receiving information about stone pelting at a Garba pandal due to a dispute between two groups, the police reached the spot and brought the situation under control," Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania said, adding that the illegal construction of more than 4,500 sq ft worth more than ₹4.5 crore, belonging to three of the accused, was demolished with the help of the revenue department.
(With PTI inputs)