Congress, BJP clashes leave 3 injured in HP

Dharamshala, May 1 (UNI) Three people suffered minor injuries in clashes between Congress and BJP activists in Kangra town of Himachal Pradesh today, district SP A K Yadav today said.

The trouble arose after the BJP procession, which was on its way to the local SDM office to submit a memorandum on the alleged irregularities in the construction of the Macleodganj Bus Stand, came face-to-face with a Congress procession, he said.

Mr Yadav said the activists of both the parties first resorted to slogan shouting followed by stone pelting and clashes in which at least three people suffered minor injuries.

The situation was however, brought under control as the police party present on the occasion separated both the groups, he said.

While the Congress activists burnt an effigy of former union minister Shanta Kumar before the clashes, the BJP activists burnt Transport Minister Mr G S Bali's effigy for his alleged role in the construction of the bus stand on the built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

The district SP said no one had been arrested in the incident so far since the district administration was busy in maintaining law and order in the town.

Asserting that the guilty would not be spared, he said arrests would be made in due course under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Meanwhile, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Bharat Khera promised an administrative inquiry into the incident when a delegation of the BJP leaders, including former transport minister Kishan Kapoor, legislators Ramesh Dhawala, Naveen Dhimal and Vipin Kumar, took ip the matter with him.

He directed the SP to take strict action against the guilty.

The BJP workers later blocked traffic on the Shimla-Mautor National Highway and resorted to slogan shouting, which countinued for hours.

The BJP leaders have demanded a case be registered against Mr Bali for ''irregularities in the construction of the bus stand and for inciting party activists to resort to violence''.

They also demanded suspension of Kangra SHO accusing him of ''remaining a mute spectator to stone-pelting and attack on BJP activists by Congress activists''.

UNI