BJP takes battle to Guv House

BJP calls Jharkhand bandh against police brutality

Vijay Deo Jha February 13, 2009 (National Front Page)
Ranchi

This could have been the hottest dateline at home today—thousands of the BJP workers led by the national vice president Yaswant Sinha and the leader of the opposition Arjun Munda and others revealed a surprise by breaking the high security arrangements of the Governor’s House.
In the ledger of the law-keepers, the day might be described as more or less peaceful barring a few injury cases and minor scuffle.

But the party vice president Dineshanand claims that during their struggle nearly 55 workers suffered injury at the hand of the police forces and a good number of them were sent to the hospital. The injured included Sinha, Munda, Saryu Rai, Dinesh Sarangi, the state Goswami, besides a score of party workers—Lajpatirai Birmani, Devendra Singh, Satish Singh, Rahul Pandey and Yogesh Malhotra who suffered injury. Later on the leaders were brought to Governor’s House dispensary for treatment.

Sources said that out of 55 injured, 52 party activists were released after first aid while 3 persons — State BJP spokesperson Sanjay Seth with leg fracture; Khokha Singh with multiple injury and Harinarayan Sahni with leg injury — have been admitted into Seva Sadan.

Today’s protest has been the signature tune of the further movement of the party that was explained in a passionate discharge by the party state president Raghuwar Das and leader of the opposition Arjun Munda at a press conference at the party headquarter.

The BJP has called for Jharkhand bandh on Friday, from 6 AM to 3 PM. And the BJP is guaranteeing it will take that cry across the country.

“The party will hold dharna near Parliament House for the dissolution of the State Assembly on February 17 and we will show black flags to governor where ever he goes to attend any public function programme”, Das added.

“What Razi did is worse than the ‘Emergency’…the police forces did not spare the women workers. In the coming days the governor will have a tough time to justify all that happened under his nose”, Munda added.

However it is altogether a different story that arrangements to meet any eventuality were rapidly summoned and put into place. The city DSP Mahesh Ram Paswan and other officials could be seen asking forces and troops to fan across the four gates of the Governor’s House.

Charlie remained on the post but they were unable to stop nearly thousands party workers who took barely 10 minutes to raze down the security cordon erected at Machali Ghar. “The bastion has fallen”, roared Munda and jubilant workers with party flag gushed to the main gate of the Governor’s House with “Jai Shri Ram”. But the BJP had a new war cry in the works here: Sinhashan khali karo janta aa rahi hai.

This so-called victory was soon retaliated by heavy lathi charge and pouring of colour water that left all its top leaders injured and red from head to toe. The Governor’s House thus turned into a virtual battle filed—a fit case of live reporting. But the sources in the Governor’s House told to this correspondent that the security forces were cautioned to maintain restrain even in the case of worse provocation.

Sinha charged governor for police brutality against the party workers. “Nobody is safe in Jharkhand and now onward this governor would also not be safe. We demand his removal and the BJP has counted all the brutalities and would pay in the same coin”.

Sinha indicated that the party would decide its next course of action. We will sit together to decide how to intensify our agitation to save democracy which this governor has stifled.
“Look at the Governor’s House it is crestfallen and governor is under self imposed confinement”, Munda commented where as

The main gate No.1 became the theatre of eyeball to livid eyeball confrontation of the senior party leaders with the security men.

For one hour the senior party leaders—Sinha, Munda, Rakesh Sinha and many others staged demonstration at the main gate of the Governor’s House demanding the dissolution of the State Assembly and the removal of the Governor Syed Sibte Razi.

Both Sinha and Munda were fumed at the police brutality and said: “No body is safe now this governor will also not remain safe. We have counted each injury marked on the body of our workers…we will pay them in the same coin.

On the other post near Kuchary Chawk, not party flag but brick that were in more restless hands of the party workers. It was thrown, and it was returned by the same.

Over to New Delhi, which is where the negotiations, quite really, are: the JMM chief and former Chief Minister Shibu Soren is trying to start negotiation to form next government.