Police had altercation with Congress workers leading to physical scuffle/ manhandling by each others as large number of activists of Congress, Youth Congress, Communist Party, common man and industry representatives jostled to enter the premises of Chhattisgarh Electricity Regulatory Commission to stage protest as the Commission held a public hearing Thursday on the proposed hike in power tariff.
Notably, the ERC held a public meeting to give opportunity to people to express their opinion/ objection on the proposed hike in power tariff. The power companies have sent the proposal to this effect to the commission alleging heavy loss.
To protest against the move of the power company, large number of Congress workers along with activists of Youth Congress reached the building of Commission in the form of rally with activists holding placards in their hands bearing slogan against the government as well as the power company and the ERC.
Since Congress, YC, Mini Steel Association, Communist Party, as well as different civil organisations had already announced to stage protest during the public hearing, the commission had made elaborate arrangements of security with hundreds of police constables and officials deployed on the gate of the commission. CSP Mukesh Khare and around a dozen of TIs were supervising the security arrangements as also a number of women constables were deployed.
In the beginning police started interrupting people’s entry to the Commission making many of them abort their participation in the public hearing. Many people alleged that high tension line was passing through their locality taking toll of many lives but the power company officials did not do any thing towards shifting those lines despite a number of reminders.
In the meantime, members of Mahila Congress and Office Bearers of Congress along with their supporters also reached the venue and indulged in demonstration. The police stopped them outside resulting in scuffle between them. Both the sides manhandled each other in the melee. later after the intervention of senior leaders Dhanendra Sahu, Kuldip Juneja, Vidhan Mishra, Ramesh Varlyani and others police opened the gate and let the Congress workers enter the premises. Inside also, Congress activists and Communist Party workers staged protest and gheraoed the Commission chairman Manoj De demanding suspension of the public hearing.
later Congress leaders also held a meeting at Congress Bhawan and demanded that the Commission should not approve the frequent hike in power tariff otherwise Congress party will take to streets against the proposed power tariff hike.