Cong, BJP workers clash over disruption of Tiranga Yatra

Surat, Aug 28: BJP and Congress workers today clashed over alleged disruption of 'Tiranga Yatra' in Varachha locality, police said.

Both BJP and Congress have lodged cross FIRs against each other following the incident. In its FIR, the BJP alleged that Congress workers stopped the yatra, led by BJP MLAs Kishore Kanani and Ajay Choksi, by showing black flags when the procession was passing Varachha area here.

However, Congress claimed that Kanani, Choksi and others attacked its party workers with the baton of police personnel present there. Kanani and Choksi represent Varachha Road and Surat (North) constituencies, respectively, in the Legislative Assembly. "When the yatra, with around 100-odd participants, led by Kanani, was passing by the office of Congress corporator Dinesh Kachhadiya in Varachha locality, around 50 Congress supporters allegedly stopped them and soon they started attacking each other," a police spokesperson said.

In his FIR, Kachhadiya alleged that Kanani, Choksi and BJP corporators attacked Congress workers, including two women corporators, when Congress workers approached them with a list of problems faced by local residents. "Kanani, Choksi and others attacked us with the baton of police personnel present there. They also held the hands of our women corporators Harshaben and Dakshaben and pushed them violently. A BJP corporator even used a tiranga stick to beat us," Kachhadiya alleged in his FIR.

However, Kanani alleged that Kachhadiya, along with some corporators and supporters of Congress, stopped the yatra by showing black flags, and started fighting. Kanani claimed he was hurt in head and hand.

Cross FIRs were lodged under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 507 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Police said they were investigating the matter though no arrests have been made so far.

PTI