Gold traders hurl black flags at Sushma Swaraj's car

86 persons, mainly gold traders, held and later released on personal bonds, after they said they would show black flags to her

Two unidentified youths today hurled black flags at the moving car of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in her home constituency of Vidisha (45 km from Bhopal). Also, as many as 86 persons, mainly gold traders, were arrested this morning and later released on personal bonds, after they said they would show black flags to the minister.

Swaraj was in Vidisha to participate in a district vigilance and monitoring committee meeting. “Two unidentified youths came on a bike and threw black flags at her moving car, when she was heading towards the circuit house, after wrapping up a meeting at around 2:45 pm today. The Vidisha district administration had already made preventive arrested of 86 persons who wanted to stage a black flag protest,” a government spokesperson told Business Standard.

On receiving information, police officials and district administration officials had called the traders led by Prakash Saraf, who is also president of Vidisha Sarafa Vyapari Association, in this regard and had reportedly “warned them” not to engage in any unlawful activity.

“Heavy police was deployed at the Bada Bazar site in Vidisha where gold traders have been protesting for the past one month,” a police source told Business Standard. “None of the traders, apart from the two youths, could show her black flags. Her visit was peaceful.”

However the police or district administration have yet to identify the two youths.