Communist Party of India (CPI)-Ml, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mahasabha and All India Progressive Women’s Association members rallied in protest against the police cane charge on people protesting against State Cabinet Minister Harish Chandra Durgapal at Bindukhatta, lalkuan, Nainital district on October 14.Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers Union president Kamla Kunjwal and other union members also participated in the rally.
The protesters assembled at martyr memorial and rallied for Tehsil while raising slogans against the State Government and minister Durgapal. large number of local people participated.
At the Tehsil, they submitted a memorandum addressed to the State Chief Minister in which they demanded removal of Durgapal from the Government and withdrawal of the cases registered in the police station lalkuan against the protestors.
CPI-Ml leader Raja Bahuguna alleged that the leaders of both the parties -Congress and BJP- had cheated the people of the region by bringing Bindukhatta areas under municipality from the revenue areas. Ahead of the previous election, Congress had sought votes, assuring that the revenue status of the area would be retained, he said, adding that BJP had not done anything to thwart the State government’s plan to bring the area under municipality. He also alleged that Cabinet minister Durgapal had sought help of the criminals to suppress the agitation. “The criminals are being protected by the administrative officers. The association would launch a state- wide movement if cases against its members are not withdrawn soon. The stir against formation of municipality at Bindukhatta would continue,” he warned.
Another CPI-Ml member Purushottam Sharma said that the State Government had deployed massive volume of security forces in anticipation of trouble. “They were aware of the anger the local people have been nurturing over the ruling party’s betrayal. Durgapal has lost confidence of the people. He has now a few contractors and criminals with him,” he added.
Kamla Kunjwal said that police action that day had reminded them of the atrocities done by the erstwhile government of undivided UP during the statehood agitation. Bahadur Singh Jangi, KK Pandey, Basanti Bisht and Bhuwan Joshi also spoke on the occasion.
Notably, police charged cane on the protestors on October 14, resulting in the policemen being pelted with stones. Some policemen and dozens of protesters were injured during the fracas. The police registered a case against six named persons and 150 unidentified persons in the police station, lalkuan in the wake of the incident.