Congress protests against arrest of Bokaro unit chief

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi | Friday, July 16, 2010

Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) staged a protest demonstration in front of Governor’s House on Thursday.

The Congress agitated against the arrest of its party president of Bokaro Rama Rao on Wednesday after a tiff with an official of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). The Congress workers alleged that bureaucracy was reckless under the President’s rule. Those who fumed and delivered dire warning to bureaucracy and police announcing to start agitation in the coming days if Rao was not released were aware the head of the State was a direct nominee of the Congress ruling at the Centre.

The BSP that after distancing itself from Opposition sponsored bandh against the price hike, lately realised the price hike is worth an issue of demonstration. The BSP trying to extend its base in Jharkhand invited some of the party leaders and MPs from Uttar Pradesh to take part in agitation.

Most of the time the BSP leaders targeted the State Government for the price hike, counting failures of the State Government. Around 50 odd BSP workers took part in demonstration while the Congress fold kept swelling till the last.

The agitated voice of the leaders of each camp turned shriller on the megaphone and on some occasion it was very difficult to distinguish who said what and against whom.

While the demonstration of the Congress had the backing and blessing of party’s state president Pradeep Balmuchu to punch President’s rule often labeled as Congress’ rule by the Opposition.

All most all the senior leaders of the Congress participated in demonstration and submitted memorandum to the office of the Governor for an action against officials. Rao was arrested by the police following a successful call for Bokaro bandh given by the district unit on Wednesday after SAIL removed illegally occupied office of the Congress from its quarters.

Knowing the Opposition will score points if they criticise the Government leaders spoke in a close-guarded language. But they had unspent payload of furry against the bureaucracy.

“The way bureaucracy and police have been acting in Jharkhand it reminds me off the Emergency Period.” A Congress leader did not feel shy in mentioning Opposition’s pet word ‘Emergency’ that makes Congress blush, shy and defensive.