Patna: Violence erupted during a protest against Rahul Gandhi near Bihar Congress headquarters, Sadaqat Ashram, in Patna on Wednesday when BJP and Congress workers used ‘lathis’ (wooden sticks) and attacked each other with stones, leaving workers from both sides injured.
BJP launched nationwide protest against Congress over Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders holding sit-in agitation outside the Prime Minister`s residence, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leaks and alleged police crackdowns on student demonstrators.
Visuals showed BJP and Congress workers using lathis and attacking each other with stones during the clash near the state Congress office. Several workers were injured on both sides. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse protesters and control the situation.
BJP`s march reached state Congerss headquarters after starting from Kurji Hospital. The march was led by state BJP president Sanjay Saraogi.
Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram alleged that the BJP was responsible for the entire incident. He claimed that the police acted one-sidedly. On the other hand, some BJP workers said that they had come to hold a protest on the road, but the Congress attacked them.
The injured have been admitted to different hospitals in Patna.
Meanwhile, ASP Komal Meena said, “Some people were injured in the stone-pelting, including a few police personnel. Everyone involved will be identified, and further legal action will be taken,” she added.
She said that because protests were taking place at other locations in the city as well, the deployment of additional police personnel and traffic management were affected. However, the police reached all locations in time and dispersed the crowds. She said that whether the BJP obtained permission to hold the protest would be investigated first. “A decision on registering an FIR would be made only after verification, as no kind of protest or procession is allowed without permission,” she added.
