Several injured in police-BJP clash during march to Odisha Assembly
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Several Odisha police personnel and BJP supporters were injured and vehicles of the cops were damaged as saffron party workers fought a pitched battle with the force during a march to the Assembly.
Hundreds of activists under the banner of BJP Yuva Morcha staged the agitation on Tuesday demanding a CBI probe into the murder case of health minister Naba Kishore Das and the alleged deteriorating law and order situation.
The Mahatma Gandhi Marg in front of the Assembly building turned into a battlefield when the police stopped the BJP activists who broke barricades erected by the force. Many were seen scaling the barricades.
The police claimed that the agitators hurled water bottles, eggs and stones at the cops who then used batons to disperse the crowd. Several security personnel and political workers were injured in the scuffle.
Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh said around 10 police personnel including ACP Amitav Mohapatra suffered injuries in the melee.
At least five police vehicles were damaged in the clash, the DCP said.
The police detained over 100 protesters and action will be taken against them as per law, he said.
DGP Sunil Bansal visited the Capital Hospital to meet the injured police personnel.
In the Assembly, BJP MLAs created a ruckus over the incident as Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra demanded a ruling from the chair on the alleged police excess on the party activists.
BJP state president Samir Mohanty, BJP Yuva Morcha president Irasish Acharya, party MLAs and other senior leaders participated in the march demanding a CBI investigation into the minister's murder.
The health minister was shot dead last month allegedly by a police officer who was arrested and dismissed from the service.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
