By IANS,
Ranchi : Former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda, his wife Meera Munda, and thousands of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were arrested Friday as they tried to march towards the chief minister’s residence here to protest rising prices.
The BJP May 12 launched a 12-day agitation against rising prices and corruption in the state. Munda and party workers were arrested after the tried to breach the third security barricade, 100 metres from the chief minister’s residence. Nearly 15,000 BJP workers took part in the procession.
“The Madhu Koda government has failed on every front in the state. People of the state are not getting electricity or water. The prices of essential commodities are rising and law and order situation is worsening in the state,” Munda told reporters. Munda and the party workers were later released.
Earlier, the police resorted to baton charge to disperse the agitating BJP workers. On Wednesday, BJP state president P.N. Singh suffered head injuries in a clash with the police.
In 12 days, around 80,000 BJP workers have courted arrests. The prominent leaders who participated in the agitation were Yashwant Sinha, Arjun Munda, and more than a dozen BJP legislators.