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Dozen hurt in SP-Cong clash
OVER A dozen persons received injuries following violent clashes between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) workers in and outside Collectorate compound here today.
OVER A dozen persons received injuries following violent clashes between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) workers in and outside Collectorate compound here today.
Rampaging mob from both the sides also fired in the air, leading to panic in the area. About a dozen vehicles were also damaged including a black Scorpio of the SP district president Naseeruddin.
The situation took to an ugly turn when lawyers too joined hands with Congmen, more out of self-defense than anything else, in targeting stone-pelting Samajwadi Party workers on the court campus.
Congress workers had fled from outside the court campus and had taken refuge at the District court to save themselves from stone-pelting SP workers.
Trouble began when few bricks landed in the chambers of lawyers. Joining hands, the lawyers, along with Congressmen retaliated by pelting stones at the SP workers. Lawyers support to Congress workers, outnumbered the SP workers, who tried to beat a hasty retreat.
However, it was too late by then for the SP workers, as Cong-lawyers combined surrounded the SP workers from three sides.
Those, who got trapped, also included the SP district president Naseeruddin and party leaders Neeraj Chaturvedi and Virendra Dubey.
With no escape route and the option left, the SP leaders fired several rounds in air to save themselves from the mob.
Earlier, the dispute started when SP workers holding a public meeting accusing Congress for price hike outside the Collectorate, came face-to-face with the Congmen who were staging court arrest against the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
Congressmen in large numbers led by the district Congress President Mahesh Dixit had arrived at the Collectorate for staging a court-arrest.
On coming face-to-face, workers of both the Congress and the SP workers lost control and resorted to slogan shouting against each other.
The verbal dual, however, took a turn resulting in free for all between the Congress and the SP workers. The clash actually began when the SP workers started throwing chairs from their pandal at the Congress workers. The Congmen also retaliated.
During the drama, SP workers also manhandled district President of Congress Mahesh Dixit, which resulted in heavy brick batting from both the sides.
During the incident, hotel of the SP leader Virendra Dubey near the Collectorate along with the four-wheeler of SP district president Naseeruddin was also damaged. The entire episode continued for almost an hour and it was only when a heavy contingent of police force arrived that the situation could be brought under control.
