VHP in damage control mode, BJP distances itself
AGRA: The events of the last few days in the city, wherein members of saffron outfits indulged in violence and assaulted a senior police officer, has left the cops puzzled. The violence followed protests by the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists against foreign models allegedly being denied entry to Taj Mahal with saffron stoles.
Even as deputy superintendent of police (Dy SP) Ravi Kant Parashar is yet to come to terms with the assault on him by VHP leader Jagmohan Chahar at Fatehpur Sikri police station on Saturday, the BJP distanced itself from the attack while the VHP went into damage control mode.
Chahar and four others are now in jail. The DySP said 14 activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal had been arrested for “misbehaving” with him and indulging in violence at Sadar police station. “Over a hundred activists, led by Bajrang Dal leaders, reached Fatehpur Sikri police station on Saturday morning to oppose lodging of report against some of their associates,” said Parashar.
“They started demanding that the police should lodge a counter FIR. We were ready to discuss the issue but then they demanded the immediate suspension of the incharge of Fatehpur Sikri police station,” he said. Parashar said most of the activists were teenagers who turned violent and started misbehaving with the police. “Police had to retaliate to control the situation. A case was later registered in this connection,” he said.
It all began when a Muslim man was allegedly beaten up by a group of activists. When the man reached Fatehpur Sikri police station to lodge an FIR, the activists of Hindu outfits created ruckus at the police station.
During the violence, VHP leader Jagmohan Chahar slapped DySP Ravi Kant Parashar. Later in the night, when the arrested activists were taken to Sadar police station, a large number of activists gathered there and demanded release of those held. The protestors clashed with the police and tried to secure the release of their men.
SP (city) Susheel Ghule, who was leading the police team at Sadar police station, said he was also manhandled by the protestors though the police managed to push them back. The protestors snatched the service revolver of sub-inspector Santosh Kumar and set his motorcycle on fire.
“A case has been registered against 33 named and 200 unidentified people at Sadar police station. Nine activists have been arrested and efforts are on to identify others,”Ghule said.
“As many as 57 vehicles, have reportedly been abandoned by the protestors . These vehicles will help the police in identifying protestors and the two-wheelers will now be released only after the court’s order,” he said.
NO MORE PROTESTS: VHP
Vice-president of Braj region of the VHP Sunil Parashar said the outfit would not organise more protests and the grievances would be taken up with the officials concerned.
Parashar, who has also been named in the case lodged at Sadar police station, admitted some ‘mistakes’ during the protests but added the activists were provoked by the police who abused them and used force .
He alleged the style of functioning of some police officials of a particular community had not changed and they were working as they did under the previous regime. He also claimed the police were maligning the image of Hindu outfits.
BJP DISTANCES ITSELF
BJP city unit president Vijay Shivhare maintained the party had nothing to do with the protests.
Notably, MLA from Fatehpur Sikri Chaudhary Uday Bhan Singh was present at Fatehpur Sikri police station and also at Sadar police station but left before things went wrong.