PATNA: Several workers of the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) were allegedly injured during a protest in Patna on Wednesday, after police allegedly resorted to a baton charge to stop them from marching towards the chief minister’s residence. The protest, led by JSP founder Prashant Kishor, was part of a ‘CM residence gherao’ stir to press for a three-point charter of demands.
JSP supporters who gathered there to take part in ‘CM residence gherao’ were stopped by police near Chitkohra Overbridge while they were heading towards the Gardanibagh dharna site.
Police had erected barricades the march, leading to a scuffle between personnel and JSP protestors. Videos of the clash quickly went viral on social media.
JSP later claimed that several of its supporters sustained injuries in the police action, alleging they were lathi-charged during the protest.
Prashant Kishor attacked the state government for using force against peaceful demonstration and attempt to suppress the voice of the people. “We will not allow this to happen. We will fight against them,” he said.
The agitation was organised to protest, what Prashant Kishor called, ‘three critical failure of the state government. Later addressing workers, Kishor raised three questions: Why have poor families not received the promised Rs.2 lakh employment aid? Why have Dalit families not been allotted three decimals of land? And why there is silence on alleged corruption in the ongoing land survey?
Prashant Kishor, who met the injured supporters shortly after the incident, slammed the state government, accusing it of suppressing genuine public concerns through police force. “They (government) think that it will impact our fight for justice. But they are under the shadow of illusion. Our fight will continue till demands are met,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Patna, denied the lathicharge and said that the protestors were prevented from marching towards prohibited area. “Holding agitation is completely banned in prohibited zone,” he told the media while defending police action.