Prayagraj: Tension erupted in Bhadewara Bazar and adjoining areas on Sunday evening for more than two hours after supporters of Azad Samaj Party (Kashiram) chief and Nagina MP Chandra Shkhar Azad went on a rampage accusing police of not allowing him to meet the families of victims in two recent cases in Kaushambi and Karchana.The agitating mob damaged about a dozen vehicles, including three police jeeps and cops had to resort to cane-charge to disperse them. About half a dozen persons were reportedly injured in the clash.Earlier, senior police officials, including additional CP (law & order) Ajay Pal and DCP (Yamuna Nagar) Vivek Chandra Yadav along with additional forces rushed to the spot to control the situation.Add CP told TOI “Situation was under control and adequate forces were being deployed to defuse tension”. He, however, said “violence was carried out under a planned strategy despite the fact that cops have allowed Isauta (Karchana) village victims to meet the Nagina MP at circuit house”.Additional CP also claimed that cops have started identifying the persons involved in violence, misbehaving and assaulting the locals and stern legal action would be initiated against them accordingly. Heavy police forces were also deployed at the site.The series of trouble started on Sunday evening when Azad’s and members of Bhim Army, also founded by Azad, came to know that Nagina MP would not be able to visit Karchana village as he had been taken to circuit house by the police. The supporters all of a sudden became aggressive, created ruckus between Hanumanpur and Bhawedara Bazar area and allegedly assaulted commuters, traders and passers-by. They also started throwing stones at locals and vandalised at least a dozen vehicles. The agitators allegedly torched two bikes at the spot.When cops made a futile attempt to control them, they allegedly threw stones on police as well and created a ruckus for around 40 minutes. The agitators escaped from the spot after heavy police forces along with PAC battalions arrived. Local shopkeepers alleged that their shops were intentionally targeted by the agitators.Azad arrived in the city on Sunday morning as was scheduled to meet victims of Karchana and Kaushambi village incidents. The Nagina MP alleged that he was brought to circuit house from Bamrauli airport amid tight police security and cops didn’t allow him to move to both the spots, citing law and order problems.Following this, the Nagima MP and his supporters sat on a dharna on the circuit house campus. Talking to reporters, the MP said “I wanted to meet the victim’s family in neighbouring Kaushambi district after questions were being raised over police actions. But cops stopped me at circuit house citing law and order crisis.”. The MP insisted on meeting the family members of victims in both the incidents.In Isauta (Karchana), a 35-year-old Dalit man died in mysterious circumstances in April and it was alleged that he was burnt to death. The tehsil administration had assured the kin of the deceased to get land lease and financial help from the government. But a few days ago, local leaders of the Bhim Army said that no help had been given to the relatives of the deceased.In Kaushambi’s Lohanda village, the matter of a minor girl rape was surfaced on May 28 and the accused was sent behind the bars on May 29. However, the father of the accused died by suicide on June 4 accusing police of sending his innocent son on fake charges. The SIT, constituted by Kaushambi police, revealed that the accused had only slapped the victim, who was from a Pal family, and following which, the accused was released by court. However, the family of the minor girl accused police of protecting the accused and sought justice. On Sunday, Azad talked to Pal’s family (Kaushambi) through video calling. He also threatened to launch a massive agitation if the family didn’t’ get justice.
