Madhya Pradesh: The pro-CAA protest unfurled some ugly episodes on Sunday and two female top bureaucrats were seen taking on the ‘unruly’ protesters.
Video clipping of the incident shows Additional Collector of Rajgarh, Priya Verma slapping a man during the protests, while District Collector Nidhi Nivedita is seen taking on a few others during the protest rally.
It is said that the pro-CAA protest was organized by the BJP in Rajgarh and during the event, the protesters ended up attacking the police and other officials.
In one of the videos, a protester is seen pulling the hair of Priya Verman after she hits a protester.
Priya Verma told PTI that some men from the crowd misbehaved with her and the collector. “Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC are in place in the district. While we were doing our duty, a crowd came from the other side and misbehaved with us,” Priya said adding that while one man pulled her hair, the other kicked her in her waist.
“All that [she taking on some men] happened after it. Despite our requests to the protesters to sit down, they did not pay any heed,” Priya Verma claimed as she denied that the officials resorted to high-handed behavior, as alleged by the Opposition party.
BJP calls it ‘Hitlerism’, Cong lauds officials
Attacking the bureaucrats, the BJP said that the party will not tolerate ‘Hitlerism.
Reacting to the incident, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it was the “black letter day” in democracy. “Collector madam, which law book you have read empowers you to beat up and drag citizens protesting peacefully,” Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, on Monday, slammed the BJP for the attack on officials at Rajgarh rally and said that he is proud of the two women officers.
Cases filed
Following the Sunday incident, the police have registered a case against two for hitting and pulling the hair of Rajgarh Deputy Collector Priya Verma during a demonstration held by BJP workers in support of CAA in Rajgarh.
It is said that police have also arrested one in the case while 150 people have been booked for violating Section 144. Of these 150, 12 have been identified by police.
The Kamal Nath government has opposed the CAA passed by Parliament recently.
