Sunday, 04 December 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Party leaders prevented from demonstrating near Raj Bhawan on Ankita Bhandari case
The leaders of the Uttarakhand Congress held an angry protest at Cantt police station here on Saturday against what they alleged misbehaviour by the police with Congress leader Jayendra Ramola and others. Ramola was detained by the police when he tried to sit on a protest outside the Raj Bhawan on Saturday morning. The vice president of Uttarakhand Congress, Mathura Dutt Joshi said that Ramola along with some other people were on a relay hunger strike in Rishikesh demanding justice for Ankita Bhandari and disclosure of the name of the VIP in the case for 51 days.
The protesters were on fast unto death from the last seven days. Joshi said that when the government paid no heed to the protesters they decided to hold fast unto death in front of the residence of the chief minister but when they were informed that CM is not in the city they decided to shift the venue of their protest to the Governor house. He claimed that police forcibly lifted Ramola and other protesters and misbehaved with them. When the Congressmen got information that the police had brought Ramola and others to the Cant police station they arrived there. Leading the Congressmen, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara sat on a Dharna at the police station and courted arrest. Speaking on the occasion Mahara said that the Pushkar Singh Dhami government wants to stifle the voice of opposition but the Congress party would continue to fight for justice for Ankita Bhandari. He said that the BJP government is trying to cover up the case from the day one and now it is trying to shield the VIP for whom Ankita was being forced to provide service.
The PCC president said that the law and order situation in the State has crashed and criminals are having a field day but the CM of the State is busy campaigning in Delhi. He demanded that the director general of Police should be immediately removed from his position.
The Badrinath MLA Rajendra Bhandari, Vice President Mathura Dutt Joshi, Navin Joshi, Godavari Thapli, Amarjeet Singh, Garima Dasauni and others accompanied Mahara in the protest.
