Chhattisgarh BJP leaders stage protest, seek judicial probe in Kawardha violence

Senior BJP leaders of Chhattisgarh, including MPs and MLAs, on Wednesday took out a protest march from the party office here towards Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's official residence demanding a judicial inquiry into the violence in Kawardha town last month.

However, the opposition party leaders were stopped by police in Civil Lines, much ahead of the CM's house, and some of them, including lawmakers, were arrested as a preventive measure and later released, officials said.

Former Chief Minister and BJP vice-president Raman Singh, party's state president Vishnudeo Sai, MPs and MLAs accompanied by senior leaders took out the foot march from 'Ekatma Parisar', the party's city office, raising slogans calling the state's Congress government as "anti-Hindu''.

Talking to reporters, Sai said the state government should order a judicial inquiry into the Kawardha violence and demanded withdrawal of an FIR lodged against BJP leaders in connection with the incident.

He termed the FIR against BJP leaders as an act of political vendetta.

Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik questioned why the Baghel government was afraid of a judicial probe and sought to know whom it wants to save.

A judicial inquiry will clear everything, he claimed.

The BJP leader accused the state government of being biased over the Kawardha violence and deliberately targeting people associated with the opposition party.

However, their attempt to stage the protest in front of the CM house was foiled by a heavy police contingent deployed in Civil Lines with barricades put up in the area to block the marchers.

"BJP leaders, including 7 MPs and 14 MLAs, were formally arrested under preventive measures and later released unconditionally", a police official told PTI.

Reacting to the protest, Chief Minister Baghel said the BJP does not have any issue to raise in the state and it knows only two things - communalism and conversion.

Replying to a query, Baghel told reporters in Jagdalpur (Bastar district), "We had told them if they have facts (related to violence) they can share it (with government) but they did not give us anything.

''They have been left with no work. Nobody is with them (BJP) - be it farmers, tribals, women or youth - because the state government has launched welfare schemes for all these sections and they are benefitting from them.'' The CM said the saffron party has no issue of public interest to raise.

"The BJP does not have issues to raise and they know only two things - communalism and conversion. Except these two they have nothing. A small incident happened (apparently referring to a group clash in Kawardha). Strict action was taken in that incident. But the BJP is trying to make it an issue because it does not have anything (to raise)," he added.

On October 3, a clash occurred between people belonging to two communities over removal of religious flags from a thoroughfare in Kawardha, the headquarters of Kabirdham district. The local authority had to impose a curfew to bring the situation under control.

Two days later, violence erupted in the town during a rally taken out by right- wing outfits, causing damage to properties. The rally was taken out in protest against the October 3 clash.

BJP MP Santosh Pandey and former Parliamentarian Abhishek Singh - son of Raman Singh - were among party leaders named in an FIR lodged in connection with the violence. Some BJP leaders were also arrested.

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