The Rajgarh police have arrested a person on charges of molesting and assaulting a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) during a scuffle when officials tried to disperse BJP workers supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Sunday.
“A case has been registered against two persons. The second one is yet to be identified. We are going through videos of the incident,” said Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma. The case has been registered under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.
Mr. Sharma said another case against 125 persons had been registered for violating prohibitory orders under Section 144.
On Sunday, when more than a hundred BJP workers took out a rally supporting the CAA in Biaora of Rajgarh district without permission, the SDM and Deputy Collector, Priya Verma, tried to disperse them reportedly using force.
Video on social media
In a video doing the rounds on social media, Ms. Verma can be seen dragging the workers by collars to be taken away by the police. During the struggle, a person is seen pulling her ponytail from behind.
In another video, District Collector Nidhi Nivedita is seen slapping BJP’s local media in-charge Ravi Badone. Later, police personnel tried to quell an angry mob advancing in.
The workers, led by former MLAs Amar Singh Yadav and Mohan Sharma, and district party unit president Dilbar Singh Yadav, claimed that the police had also resorted to lathicharge.
On Monday, a fact-finding team of the BJP, led by MLA and former Minister Vishvas Sarang, visited the spot. “The officials acted on the direction of Congress leaders. It was all scripted,” he told The Hindu.
Mr. Sarang claimed that the BJP workers were assaulted on a temple premises where they were singing bhajans and spreading “awareness” on the law. “Even the Tricolours they held were snatched away. The scene represented the Jallianwala Bagh massacre,” he alleged.
Digivijaya’s tweet
Taking to Twitter, former Chief Minister and Congress MP Digvijaya Singh wrote: “The hooliganism of the BJP came to the fore in Rajgarh. Female Collector and SDM was beaten up, their hair pulled. We are proud of the courage shown by the women officials.”
