Things remaining volatile in the State on the political plane, both Congress and BJP took out rallies in Dehradun on Saturday. Youth Congress activists gathered in the capital to protest against the BJP’s alleged attempts to destabilise the State Government by means of horse trading of the MlAs. They burnt the Opposition party in its effigy too. At another remove, scores of BJP activists protested and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister over the arrest of Mussoorie MlA Ganesh Joshi.
Hundreds of BJP supporters, on the other hand, took out mock funeral processions of the Chief Minister Harish Rawat from Kishanpur diversion to Jakhan while shouting slogans against the Chief Minister over arrest of the Mussoorie MlA. They protesters said that they would intensify their protest unless MlA Joshi was released from the jail. As a part of their protest, they will stage a sit- in at Gandhi Park on Sunday.
One of the protesters Punam Nautiyal expressed anguish over the incident and said that the Congress- led State government would fall soon. She said that Joshi and other party workers had been framed to spite the BJP.
Youth Congress members led by Jasvinder Pal Singh Gogi assembled at Congress Bhawan and shouted slogans against the BJP leaders, alleging that they were hell bent on destabilising the Congress- led Government in the State. The members accused the BJP- led Centre of encouraging horse- treading of MlAs of the State. The protesters rallied till Astley Hall and later burnt the opposition party in effigy. Gogi said that people of the State would teach BJP lessons for the dastardly and undemocratic act. He said money power was being used to lure the Congress MlAs to desert the party and switch to the saffron side. Youth Congress would intensify its protest over this issue in the coming days, he warned.