RAIPUR: Tension prevailed as Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers burnt the effigy of State Congress Chief Bhupesh Baghel in front of his official residence here in Shankar Nagar area today.
Irked over the incident, Congress workers led by the party's city unit president, Vikas Upadhyay, tried to stage a dharna and block Shankar Nagar Road of the capital, prompting the police to take prohibitory action.
"As many as 30 BJYM workers and around 50 Congress men were arrested following the incident. Mild force was used to disperse the mob and the situation was brought under control," Raipur Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Chandrakar told PTI.
As per the preliminary information, the situation turned tense after some BJYM workers allegedly threw ink at the residence of Baghel. However, everything will be clear after the investigation, he added.
Meanwhile, Congress alleged that BJYM activists had a heated exchange of words with the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader T S Singhdeo, who had reached the state Congress Chief's residence during the incident.
"When the incident occurred, Baghel was at his residence and Singhdeo reached there to discuss some strategy to take on the government during Monsoon Session of the Assembly which began today," party's state general secretary and spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Tirvedi said.
"The BJYM members misbehaved with the CLP leader in front of Baghel's house," Trivedi claimed.
The state government was cornered over Civil Supplies scam in the Legislative Assembly today and as reaction to it, they (BJYM activists) had tried to attack the State Congress Chief's house, Trivedi said, adding that "we strongly condemn the act."