Police resorted to cane- charge to control violent BJP and Congress activists who confronted each other at Raipur police station here on Wednesday. Earlier on the day, a large number of Congress workers led by the State  Congress chief Pritam Singh gathered at the Raipur police station and protested against  the alleged police inaction regarding the political clash on the day results of the urban local body elections were announced.

Things turned tense after a large number of BJP workers led by BJP Raipur MLA Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’ gathered at the police station. Stone pelting started and as violence was about to erupt, the police used force to control the mob.

After the efforts of the CEO Dalanwala Jaya Baluni and other police officers to pacify the agitated leaders of both the parties failed, the police resorted to cane charge.

The trigger of Wednesday’s clash was the clash which broke out between the activists of the rival parties during a victory procession taken out by the followers of the Congress candidate from Chandanagar area Pravesh Tyagi on November 21. Cases from both the sides were registered on the incident at the Raipur police station.

The Congress leaders alleged that instead of acting on the complaint, the police were engaged in persuading the Congress workers into taking back the case.

Alleging that the police were acting at the behest of the ruling BJP, the Congress leaders staged a protest outside the Raipur police station on Wednesday which took a violent turn after BJP workers also gathered at the spot.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) City Pradeep Rai said that the police are investigating the case and action would be taken if the police personnel are found sleeping over the case.  

Meanwhile the State Congress vice-president Surya Kant Dhasmana again alleged that the police are acting in cahoots with the BJP leaders. He said that aware of the Congress staging a protest rally at Raipur police station, police should not have allowed  the BJP workers to gather there.