Dreze attacked as he looked like Naxal: Cops

‘‘They (police) ordered us to call off the meeting, but we continued it. Soon, they moved away only to return with more men, some carrying guns and AK-47 rifles. They wreaked havoc. They turned tables and chairs upside down, abused us and kicked us. They even rained lathis on some of us. I was hit on my back, legs, hands and shoulders,’’ Dreze told The Indian Express.

The Belgian-born was a member of the National Advisory Council, headed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Together with 35-odd men and women activists in a bus, Dreze was on a campaign to press his demand for the right to employment. Billed as the Rojgar Adhikar Abhiyan, his campaign starting from New Delhi on May 13, reached Palamau in Jharkhand today.

According to eye-witnesses, some colleagues of Dreze were loudly protesting against the police’s move to drive them into the bus. Dreze tried to pacify his associates but the policemen ‘‘acted tough and caned them’’, they said.

‘‘They were rude…Without giving any warning, they charged on us. Although none of us suffered any major injury, some of our friends also received the blows,’’ said Dreze. The police did not allow them to hold the meeting and herded them to Ramnujgunj, 20 km from Balrampur.

Dreze lodged a complaint with the Chhattisgarh IG A.N.Upadhaya and Kalluri. ‘‘They were apologetic but no action was taken against the erring policemen,’’ said Dreze.

Several NGOs in Sarguja today demanded a judicial probe into the attack. After holding a day-long dharna, the organisations, including PUCL, handed over a memorandum to the Raipur District Collector. — (With PTI)