Four cops injured in stone pelting in MP's Bhind during OBC rally

Four policemen were injured in stone pelting in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district when a rally led by expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politicain and OBC leader Pritam Lodhi turned violent on Thursday, an official said.

The rally was organized by the Akhil Bharatiya Lodhi-Lodha Rajput Mahasabha, an organization representing the OBC (Other Backward Class) community, to raise a host of issues, including withdrawal of cases filed against Lodhi for his controversial remarks against the Brahmin community.

The rally turned violent when cops prevented the participants from going to the collectorate at Subhash Chouraha and told them to instead use a bypass after a heated exchange of words, a police official said.

Four policemen were injured when a group of persons participating in the rally started pelting stones when cops prevented them from moving forward and asked them to instead use a bypass to reach the collectorate for submitting a memorandum on various issues related to the OBC community, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Kamlesh Kharpuse said.

The injured cops were identified as Dehat police station in-charge Vinod Kushwaha, traffic in-charge Ranjit Sikarwar, constables Abhishek Gupta and Gajendra Singh, another official said.

The ASP said cops were identifying those involved in the violence and will take legal action against them.

The district authorities had not given permission for the rally, Kharpuse said.

Later, OBC leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to the MP governor demanding capital punishment for an alleged rapist of a minor girl from the Lodhi social group in Sagar district, restraining the Brahmins from spreading falsehood about their community and withdrawal of ''false'' cases against the expelled BJP leader, among others.

The Madhya Pradesh BJP has expelled Pritam Lodhi, an OBC leader and a relative of former chief minister Uma Bharti, from the party for his critical remarks against Brahmins and women.