BJP-SFI Workers Clash During Separate Protests Outside Shimla DC Office Over NEET, PM Residence Protest | VIDEO

Shimla, July 22: A scuffle broke out between BJP workers and Students' Federation of India (SFI) activists in Shimla on Wednesday as both organisations staged protests outside the Deputy Commissioner's office over different issues.

The BJP was protesting against Congress leaders' sit-in outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while SFI activists were on a hunger strike over the NEET paper leak issue, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The two groups came face to face during the protests and raised slogans against each other, following which the situation turned tense.

Police Intervene To Maintain Order

Police personnel intervened, separated the two groups and erected barricades to maintain order at the site.

Later, both organisations blamed each other for the scuffle.

SFI accused BJP workers of attacking its activists and alleged that the BJP was trying to crush the students' movement. It said similar tactics were being adopted by the BJP government wherever students were protesting against the party across the country in an attempt to break the movement.

BJP Accuses SFI Of Disrupting Protest

The BJP, on the other hand, alleged that SFI had made a systematic attempt to disrupt its peaceful protest, which it said had been duly authorised by the administration.

BJP leaders claimed the incident was not only an attack on the party's democratic right to protest but also raised serious questions over law and order and the impartiality of the administration in the state.

They said the BJP protest was "peaceful" and had been organised with prior permission from the administration. They alleged that Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) activists, posing as students, arrived without permission and deliberately attempted to create a tense atmosphere.

Political Blame Game Continues

The BJP further alleged that CITU leaders entered the crowd and, by pushing forward students, especially female students, provoked a confrontation. Using students as a political shield reflected the "petty mentality" of the "Congress-backed" organisations, they alleged.

The CITU and SFI are both affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The BJP also accused the state government of being partial by allegedly protecting SFI activists.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)