Youth Congress workers, cops clash in Civil Lines

JAIPUR: A high-voltage drama was witnessed here in Civil Lines where Youth Congress workers clashed with the police. The police resorted to mild lathicharge and called in water cannons to disperse the crowd.
More than 500 workers were protesting against the alleged mistreatment meted out to farmers in the state by BJP-led Vasundhara Raje government.
With the crowd swelling around the area, the police called additional enforcement from Ashok Nagar police station and Sodala police station.
According to police officials, the protest was initially confined near Civil Lines railway crossing, but later the workers started to breach police barricades.
“The party's youth workers led by their leader demanded to meet agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini at his residence in Civil Lines. It was a high-security zone and protesters were asked not to cross the barricade, following which there was a minor clash,“ police said.
When the agitating workers did not stop, the police called in water cannons and anti-riot teams to maintain the law and order in the area. “The protesters tried to jump the barricades and defy the police directions, hence, we had to use to water cannons to disperse the mob,“ a senior police official added.
Later, the police took several workers into custody under Section 129 of the CrPc (Dispersal of assembly by use of civil force), including Youth Congress president and MLA Ashok Chandna. They were packed into buses and sent to different places out of the city.
After dispersing the protesters, the police set up several barricades in the area to prevent further spell of rallies and anti-police protests. The Ashok Nagar police have been asked to deploy cops at Civil Lines area throughout the day.
Ashok Chandna, state president, Youth Congress, said, “The BJP government cannot scare the Youth Congress with lathi and water cannons. We will continue to raise voice against the injustices being meted out to farmers and the common man. Farmers are not being given adequate compensations against damaged crops, fertilizers and pesticides are not being made available at low cost and regular and adequate power supply is not being made agricultural purposes.“