The Delhi Police on Thursday prevented Delhi Congressmen from torching a specially-designed effigy having 16 heads, two of them in the centre representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Dussehra.

 The Congress unit wanted to torch the 50-foot effigy to register their protest over the sealing of illegal commercial establishments in Delhi. The 16 heads of the effigy represented the seven BJP members of Parliament from Delhi, Kejriwal’s Cabinet colleagues and the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken termed the police action “suppression and strangulation” of their democratic right to protest. “Whether PM or CM, if they work like Ravana, their effigies would be torched,” said Maken.

A large number of police personnel were deployed near Shyamlal College in Shahdara area, where Delhi Congress members had organised the ‘Ravan Dahan’ event.

“The policemen objected that effigy of the prime minister and chief ministers cannot be torched. They carried away it despite our protest,” party leaders said. Torching effigy of BJP and AAP leaders on Dussehra was part of Delhi Congress’s ongoing “Nyay Yudh” against the ongoing sealing drive. “The BJP government at the Centre and the ruling AAP in Delhi has completely failed to find a solution to the problems faced by people due to the sealing drive. The Nyay Yudh will continue,” Maken said.

He asserted that an effigy will be torched at the same venue later. Nyay Yudh convenor Mukesh Sharma said the Congress will respond democratically to the police action and torch effigies in all assembly constituencies in Delhi after October 25.

Besides Maken, senior party leaders including Haroon Yusuf, Dr Narendra Nath, Vipin Sharma, Naseeb Singh, Chattar Singh, and Veer Singh Dhingan were also present.