
BHUBANESWAR : Eight student Congress activists were on Friday arrested for disrupting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s convoy even as the BJP slammed the grand old party for its ‘violent act’ and said the protestors were habitual criminals.
The BJP said the NSUI activists violently blocked RSS chief’s convoy and such protests are not acceptable in democracy.
“Those who took part in the protest have serious criminal antecedents. Some were booked under NSA while some others are charged for ganja peddling,” BJP spokesman Anil Biswal said and asked the Congress to ponder what kind of youth leaders it is promoting.
Biswal also said the Congress protests against Bhagwat’s remarks were completely unjustified because the RSS chief had said the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya was about socio-cultural independence of India.
Bhagwat was on his way to Jayadev Bhawan from Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti in Mancheswar Industrial Estate on Thursday evening when the student Congress activists stopped his cavalcade. They reportedly hurled abuses and even attacked the police personnel when they attempted to disperse them, police claimed. Bhagwat is a Z+ category protectee.
Commissionerate Police defended its failure by saying the Congress activists had assembled illegally. “More than 20 NSUI activists led by Udit Pradhan had unlawfully assembled near Blue Wheel Hospital and tried to break the security cordon to harm the dignitary,” a statement issued by the Commissionerate Police read.
Police even said the eight activists who were nabbed even tried to flee the Mancheswar police station using force.
“Efforts are on to nab others who were part of the unlawful gathering,” said an officer of Mancheswar police station.