Several hurt in clash between Youth Cong workers, police outside HP Assembly

Youth Congress workers and the police clashed outside the Himachal Pradesh Assembly today, leaving several hurt on both sides.

The clash triggered heated exchanges in the House and a walkout by the opposition Congress.

The Congress claimed 12 youth workers suffered injuries when the police stopped them from submitting a memorandum on the law and order situation in the state.

The police said seven of their personnel, including Additional Superintendent of Police Manmohan and three women constables, were injured in the stone-pelting by the protesters.

An FIR was registered against Himachal Youth Congress president Munish Thakur and 19 others following the clash.

The protesters wanted to submit a memorandum on the law and order situation and "drug abuse" in the state, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told PTI outside the House.

He said the officials used water cannons and cane-charged the protesters.

"If appropriate action is not taken against the responsible officials, the Congress will stall the Assembly proceedings," Sukhu said.

The BJP government should order an inquiry to hold the officials concerned responsible for the lathicharge, he said.

Earlier, Youth Congress workers led by their state president Munish Thakur carried out a protest march from Chaura Maidan. According to eyewitnesses, when the protestors reached outside the Assembly, they allegedly pelted stones at the police in which at least three personnel, including an Additional SP were injured.

Sukhu claimed that the police used water cannons to disperse the protesters and then lathicharged them.

Following the incident, Congress MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri staged a walkout from the House during a debate on a calling attention motion on loss of life and property in recent floods in the state.

In the House, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said Youth Congress workers pelted stones at the police and tried to cross the barricades.

He alleged that the Congress leaders sitting in the House "instigated" the youth workers to pelt stones at the police.

"They went outside the House, addressed the protesting Youth Congress workers and instigated them," he said.

When the chief minister was speaking in the House over the clash, Congress MLAs, led by Agnihotri, started raising slogans and alleged that the police lathicharged "peaceful" protesters.

The Congress MLAs staged a walkout while raising slogans over the issue and sat on a dharna on the road outside the Assembly. Later, they ended the dharna on their own.

Responding to a question regarding the chief minister's statement over the issue, Sukhu told PTI the "officers were misleading him".

"Neither the Congress MLAs instigated protesting Youth Congress workers nor they pelted stones at policemen," he said.

"They did not have any stones, they were holding only party flags," Sukhu added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)