BJP, Congress workers clash in Jamshedpur during protest march; parties trade charges
Several people sustained injuries after supporters of the BJP and Congress clashed with sticks and stones in Jamshedpur on Monday, following a protest march that reached the Congress's East Singhbhum district headquarters. Both parties accused each other of triggering the violence.
The rally, organised by the BJP Mahila Morcha, was demanding the arrest of Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, who was dismissed from his position as a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) last week following an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment of students.
The confrontation erupted when the procession, which began at G Town Maidan, reached the Congress office in the Bistupur area.
Jamshedpur (City) SP Lalit Meena said preliminary findings indicated that the clash began after some “unwanted elements” allegedly threw stones from the procession. Workers from both sides suffered minor injuries, he told PTI.
However, BJP and Congress leaders offered competing accounts of the incident, each accusing the other side of attacking its supporters with stones and lathis.
BJP MLA Purnima Das Sahu said the march was intended to be a peaceful protest seeking justice for the students who had made the allegations.
“We are holding a peaceful protest demanding justice for the victim students but were greeted with lathis and stones soon after reaching the East Singhbhum district committee office of Congress in Bistupur. Where did these lathis and stones come from?” she said.
BJP's Jamshedpur Mahanagar committee president Sanjeev Sinha claimed that nearly 12 party workers were injured, some of them on the head, after Congress workers allegedly resorted to violence.
Asked whether a complaint had been filed, Sinha said the matter had been brought to the attention of senior party leaders and further action would be taken as directed.
District Congress Committee president Parvinder Singh questioned the BJP's decision to stage a protest outside the party office while carrying lathis and stones.
“Their nefarious intention was clear when they came to our home holding lathis and stones,” Singh told PTI over the phone.
“If we follow Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence, we can follow the footsteps of Bhagat Singh as well. We are ready to respond if our party workers are attacked,” he said.
Singh said the Congress, a constituent of the ruling JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand, would submit a written complaint to the police.
Meena said police had launched a detailed investigation and were examining video and audio clips to identify those responsible for the violence. He also appealed to leaders of both parties to help identify the people involved.
Dhalbhumgarh Sub-Divisional Officer Arnab Mishra said authorities had received information about the planned protest on Sunday. A magistrate and police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incident, he said.
JNU had dismissed Akoijam from service last week after an inquiry into the sexual harassment allegations against him.