Left activists lay siege to Theog as BJP backs out
Saffron fold claims it suspended protest after the high court ordered CBI probe in the case
SHIMLA: Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday called off a road blockade it planned at Theogh, 45 km from Shimla, while the Left-backed “Gudiya Nyay Manch” went ahead with a chakka jam.
“We decided to suspend the stir since the Himachal Pradesh high court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe,” said Rakesh Verma, former BJP legislator from Theogh.
“It has been learnt from media that chief minister Virbhadra Singh's wife had offered a cheque for ₹25,000 to the victim’s family,” he added.
Verma also held the government responsible for violence that erupted in Kotkhai after the custodial death of Suraj Singh, a Nepalese national, who was one of the six accused in the Kotkhai gangrape and murder case.
“Had the police informed the administration well in time about the custodial death, it could have sent reinforcements that could have avoided the situation,” he said. Verma alleged that the state government was protecting the culprits and framing innocent people. “Government is protecting the influential, while police have indicted innocents,” he added.
On other hand, Left-backed bodies staged a “chakka jam” in Theogh Bazar. Traffic on the main road came to a halt for an hour, but the protesters allowed the movement of emergency vehicles.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretariat member Rakesh Singha, who addressed the gathering, demanded the dismissal of director general of police Somesh Goyal and Shimla deputy commissioner, holding them responsible for the poor law and order situation.
“Our objective behind the protest was to seek speedy justice for Gudiya. Investigating agencies should probe the matter at the earliest,” he said, adding that the custodial death had further enraged the public.