Police break up BJP protest,60 injured

Police resorted to use of water cannons and teargas after the protesters,who had gathered near Jantar Mantar,hurled stones at security personnel.

Many of the protesters,who had walked from Ramlila grounds to Jantar Mantar,climbed atop police barricades,and tried to break through the cordon and walk to Parliament.

President of BJP’s Yuva Morcha Anurag Thakur,who was leading the protest march,was detained by police.

Senior BJP leaders L K Advani,Arun Jaitley,Sushma Swaraj,Ananth Kumar visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital,where the injured have been admitted. Party president Nitin Gadkari condemned the use of force and said the party would raise the issue in Parliament on Wednesday.

A group of protesters brought down the first barricade near Jantar Mantar around 4 pm,forcing police to use water cannons to disperse the crowd. After a second barricade was brought down,teargas shells were lobbed at the group.

Protesters said they were lathicharged,a charge the police denied.

“We were holding a peaceful protest. For no reason,police suddenly started using batons against us. Around 20 of our activists were injured,” Thakur told reporters after he was released from detention.

Police said Yuva Morcha activists turned violent despite giving an undertaking in writing that their protest would remain peaceful.

“The activists became violent on reaching Parliament Street. They damaged the stage erected for speeches,climbed on to the police barricades and indulged in heavy stone pelting,” said Dharmendra Kumar,Special Commissioner (Law and Order).

At least 23 police personnel were injured,out of which the condition of three is “grievous”,he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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