Lathi-charge on Congress workers: police officer transferred

The BJP government in Chhattisgarh shunted out a senior police officer Thursday following a lathi-charge on Congress workers in Bilaspur town two days ago.

Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Chandrakar has been shifted to the police headquarters in Raipur, Chief Minister Raman Singh said.

"A magisterial enquiry has been ordered. Bilaspur ASP Neeraj Chandrakar has been attached (posted) to the police headquarters till the probe gets over," Singh told reporters in Surajpur district.

Seven Congress workers were injured in a lathi-charge on Tuesday following a protest by party workers outside Urban Administration Minister Amar Agrawal's house. The protest was against Agrawal allegedly calling Congress "Kachra" (garbage).

During the protest, Congress workers allegedly threw garbage inside the minister's house. Later, 52 Congress workers were arrested from the party's local office.

The party alleged that police used lathi-charge for no reason while making the arrests, while the police said that some police personnel were manhandled by Congress workers.

Congress leader P L Punia said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be shown black flags during his visit to Janjgir-Champa district on September 22 if Agrawal does not resign and a police case is not lodged against Chandrakar.

"The state government should register an FIR for attempt to murder against Chandrakar instead of just shifting him....instead of a magisterial probe, the incident should be probed by a sitting judge of the high court," he said.

Punia, the party's in-charge for Chhattisgarh, was speaking to reporters after a meeting of the executive committee of the state Congress in Bilaspur.

State BJP spokesperson Shivratan Sharma said the opposition party is trying to derive political mileage from the issue.

"Taking serious note of the incident, the government immediately ordered magisterial probe and removed ASP Chandrakar from the district.

"Despite such prompt action, Congress, in a bid to take political advantage, shifted the venue of its executive meeting from Raipur to Bilaspur," he alleged.

On the Congress's warning about protest during Modi's visit, Sharma said the party should not forget that its national leaders will also visit the state in future.