Raipur: Police cane-charged tribals
who were on their way to `gherao` Chhattisgarh Assembly in
support of their various demands on Monday.
The tribals, who were demanding 32 per cent
reservation among other things, attacked policemen at Siddarth
Chowk here, some distance away from the Assembly building.
This led the police to use force against the adivasis, Raipur
Additional SP Lal Umed Singh said.
Around 4,000 tribals had gathered at Siddarth Chowk
from where they were to be arrested. However, they suddenly
turned violent and started throwing stones at the police,
injuring some men in uniform, Singh said.
Police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to
lathicharge to disperse the agitating tribals, he said.
Nearly 1,000 adivasis were arrested. Former Union
Minister Arvind Netam, tribal leaders Gulab Singh and Manoj
Mandavi, who were part of the protest, were rounded up and
sent to jail, the police officer said.
Opposition Congress strongly condemned the police
action and demanded resignation of the Raman Singh-led BJP
Government in the state.
PTI
