By IANS
Ranchi : Saturday's attacks on the three Reliance Fresh Shops here took a new twist Monday when former defence minister and Janata Dal United (JD-U) leader George Fernandes opened front in favour of the protesting vegetables vendors.
As authorities promulgated prohibitory order in the area and beefed up security around Reliance Fresh Shops, Fernandes arrived here vowing to fight what he termed as "injustice".
"I have come here to fight against injustice done with the vegetables vendors," Fernandes told reporters at Ranchi airport.
"I will meet the vegetables vendors and take stock of the situation," he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Ranchi purchased vegetables amid heavy security at the Reliance Fresh shops. Nearly 20 personnel of Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP), armed with batons and automatic weapons, were deployed outside each shop.
"It was indeed a different experience to buy vegetables from Reliance Fresh shops. The heavy security arrangement makes it look like we are in insurgency hit Jammu and Kashmir state," said Gautam Kumar, a consumer.
The consumers also blame the police for the violence on Saturday.
"The district administration failed to provide security when it was needed," said Rita Mishra, another consumer at Reliance Fresh.