Real-life chowkidars are at risk in BJP-ruled Jharkhand at a time when the BJP’s chowkidar campaign has gained wide currency with Prime Minister Narendra Modi directing party leaders and supporters to project themselves as the sentinels of the country.
Police constable Shiv Pujan Yadav, deputed to guard the BJP’s Harmu office, was assaulted by the president, vice-president and general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and eight of their supporters on Friday.
The incident took place around 1.30pm when the Morcha leaders reached gate number 2 of the state BJP headquarters and asked the constable on duty to open it.
Yadav declined, saying state office in-charge Hemant Das had asked him not to open the gate without his permission.
“BJYM president Amit Singh, vice-president Abhishek Singh, general secretary Raj Sinha and their eight supporters got angry at the refusal and started abusing Yadav. When the constable objected, he was assaulted. Noticing Yadav’s plight, other constables intervened and rescued him. Yadav was first admitted to sadar hospital and later shifted to RIMS,” a BJP leader, not willing to be quoted, said on Saturday.
State BJP spokesperson Pratul Nath Shahdeo admitted the incident took place in the presence of state urban development minister and Ranchi MLA C.P. Singh but refused to divulge details.
“An FIR has been registered against the three accused. Police have forwarded the matter to the court of chief judicial magistrate. Therefore, it won’t be proper for me to comment because the issue is sub-judice,” Shahdeo said.
On whether the party would take any action, Shahdeo said, “The party has taken a serious view of the issue, but we have to listen to everybody involved in the incident to deliver justice.”
Officer-in-charge of Argora police station Rajeev Ranjan Lal said an FIR had been registered and action would be taken in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Policemen’s Association president Narendra Kumar said the attackers were not leaders but “goondas (goons)”.
“If they are not arrested, we may boycott election duty,” Kumar said, adding that BYJM’s Amit Singh, Abhishekh Singh and Raj Sinha, who had been named in the FIR, must be punished.
Abhishekh, however, denied the allegations of assualt.
“The constable misbehaved with BJYM workers and attempted to assault them with his lathi. We simply stopped him from doing so and he fell down. CCTV camera footage will bring out the truth,” Abhishekh told The Telegraph from Deoghar.