Lathicharge sparks protests

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25

The arrest of CITU leaders, Rakesh Singha and Bihari Siyogi, and JP Project Workers Union president Inder Negi and lathi-charge on workers of the 450 MW Shongtong-Karcham power project site today sparked protests in various parts of the state.

About 200 policemen foiled CITU’s bid to protest at Raila near the project site. As soon as Singha and other CITU leaders reached Karcham, the policemen took the leaders to the Kalpa rest house and put them under house arrest.

“The district administration and the police have violated all provisions of law, including the Supreme Court direction on legal custody. There was no reason and basis under which they should have been arrested,” Singha said.

“Three innocent workers were thrashed by INTUC activists. They were admitted to a hospital at Reckong Peo yesterday. The accused were still at large and the police are busy nabbing innocent persons who are protesting to seek justice and payment of wages,” he said.

CITU leaders alleged that the Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha wanted to foil the protest as Kinnaur MLA’s brother was a sub-contractor in the project. But Kinnaur MLA denied the charges saying Section 144 was imposed to maintain law and order.

Kinnaur SP Kushal Sharma said CITU leaders were taken in preventive custody and efforts were on to nab the INTUC activists to maintain law and order at the project site. The CITU leaders were released after they were produced before the magistrate in the afternoon, he added.

Sharma said the CITU’s rally was not allowed due to the tension prevailing in the area. The labour dispute is pending in the High Court after CITU moved the court, he added.

Meanwhile, CITU leaders and members of the Kisan Sabha staged a protest at Joginder Nagar and Shimla. They submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh demanding implementation of labour laws and the arrest of INTUC activists. Meanwhile, 86 workers, who were arrested yesterday under the charge of rioting after they blocked the highway near Karcham, were released on bail today.