Police stops BJP leaders from holding unauthorized meeting; gets 'beaten up'

National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman and BJP candidate from Etawah Ram Shankar Katheria was booked Thursday along with two party MLAs and 27 others for allegedly beating up some policemen. The policemen who were allegedly assaulted by Katheria and his supporters included a sub-inspector and some constables. The policemen had allegedly tried to stop Katheria from holding an unauthorised meeting.

The FIR was lodged against 30 persons, including Katheria, BJP MLAs Savitri Katheria and Sarita Bhadauria by Sub-Inspector Geetam Singh in Bhareh police station, Senior Superintendent of Police Satosh Kumar said Thursday.

The SI alleged in the FIR that the BJP candidate from the Etawah Lok seat was holding a meeting without permission in village Parthara on Wednesday and was videographing it, the SSP said. The sub-inspector said in the FIR that on objecting to the unauthorised meeting, the BJP candidate and his supporters beat them up and tried to snatch his service revolver, SSP said.

Questioned by reporters, Katheria said there was no meeting in Parthara village. "Wherever I go, 100-200 people gather automatically," Katheria said denying any meeting or attack on policemen by him or his supporters.