BJP demands dismissal of HP Congress Government

Shimla, Aug 29 (UNI) Infuriated over lathi-charge and stone pelting on party leaders and cadres, gathered here for a rally, the BJP today demanded the dismissal of the state government and a judicial probe into the incident by a High Court judge.

The party also announced to observe September 1 as 'Black Day' in the entire state to condemn the incident.

It informed Governor V S Kokje on telephone about the incident this evening and said it would also lodge an FIR, claiming more than 30 people, including senior leader Shanta Kumar and party MLA Rajeev Bindal, some Yuva Morcha and Mahila Morcha activists were injured in police action.

Talking to mediapersons after the incident, the BJP leaders, Shanta Kumar, Prem Kumar Dhumal (both former chief ministers) and state BJP president Jai Ram Thakur condemned the incident and said it showed the Congress' frustratation as it had seen the writing on the wall that it was on its way out from the power.

The BJP leaders said it was for the first time that any ruling party had held a ''support rally'' outside the Vidhan Sabha gate, the space generally used by the opposition parties for protest rallies.

It was surprising that the mike system was installed outside Vidhan Sabha for the Congress rally against norms and the chief minister and other leaders were addressing it from the balcony of a MLA flat, they claimed.

The Congress flags were put up at the gate itself, which should not have been allowed, they said.

The Congress rally was an after-thought as the ruling party seemed to be in confrontation mood with the opposition, they alleged.

They alleged that the administration had acted in a partisan and irresponsible manner and allowed the Congress workers to occupy the space outside Vidhan Sabha gate, that was permitted for the BJP rally.

''The CD which came as a proof of corruption by the chief minister, his wife and a government officer, the birthday bash of a minister which smacked of immorality and today's goondaism by a frustrated government indicates that it was on its way out,'' the BJP leaders said.

UNI