Manipal (PTI): The Manipal police have filed an FIR against BJP activists for allegedly trying to burn an effigy of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here, officials said on Monday.

According to the FIR, a few BJP activists gathered at the Syndicate Circle here on September 6 and wanted to take out a procession to the Deputy Commissioner's office to submit a memorandum against withdrawing a state award to a teacher in Kundapur.

Later, the workers brought an effigy and a portrait and wanted to beat the portrait of the Chief Minister with footwear and burn the effigy; at this point, the police intervened and stopped the workers from carrying out their protest. However, the workers carried on with the event, following which the police filed an FIR, a senior police officer said.

The BJP workers did not have police permission to organise a big gathering in the town, or take out a procession, police said, adding party workers Girish Anchan and Prithviraj Shetty Billadi have been named in the FIR as accused for carrying out the act in public.

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Etawah (UP), Sep 16: BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.

Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.

The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.

Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.

When contacted by PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event."

"Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.

The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.

As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed.

The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.

Talking about the operation date for the Vande Bharat Express, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon.

The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.