Uma stages dharna at police station

Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, Oct 31 (UNI) Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Bharatiya Jan Shakti President Uma Bharti today sat on a dharna at the Bada-Malehra police station in Chhatarpur district, alleging that BJP workers attacked her convoy last night in a ''pre-planned manner''.

She demanded the removal of Superintendent of Police Chanchal Shekhar and arrest of villagers who attacked her convoy at Serora village yesterday while she was observing the polling for the Assembly by-election in Malehra.

''The attack on my convoy was pre-planned at the behest of the Chief Minister and the Superintendent of Police had engaged ''goondas'' to attack her convoy at the fag end of polling,'' she said while staging the sit-in inside the compound of the police station.

Few hundred people had gathered at the ground in front of the police station and the crowd was swelling, eye-witnesses said.

Sagar range Inspector General of Police Swarn Singh said the situation was under control and police personnel from neighbouring districts were being summoned. Action was being taken on the complaints of both sides, he said.

At the fag end of the polling for the Assembly by-election in Malehra, the convoy of Ms Bharti, who was election agent of her party candidate Ms Rekha Yadav, was attacked by the supporters of BJP leader Shankar Pratap Singh, who was slapped by Ms Bharti's PSO.

Her driver was injured and 9 vehicles damaged in the attack.

Immediately after the attack, Ms Bharti sat on dharna at the village itself, but was later persuaded to shift to Malehra well after midnight.

Malehra seat fell vacant following the resignation by Ms Bharti and about 60 percent polling was recorded there in the bypoll.

UNI XC-SP YA HT1420