By IANS,
Ranchi : Union Tourism Minister and Congress party’s Ranchi Lok Sabha MP Subodh Kant Sahay was arrested Tuesday as he was protesting the anti-encroachment drive in this Jharkhand capital, police said.On Tuesday, the district administration began to remove encroachments in Islamnagar and Alinagar of Ranchi on the directive of the Jharkhand High Court. In the last two weeks more than 3,000 shops, houses and other illegal buildings have been either demolished or been sealed.
Ranchi witnessed violence as the protesters blocked roads at many places by setting tyres on fire. The protesters blocked main roads and other important roads and also hurled stones on passersby and police.
Sahay along with hundreds of Congress workers, with black ribbons across their lips, staged a sit-in near Karbala Chowk. Police arrested Sahay and sent him to a camp jail.
“Police adopted repressive measures despite our protesting peacefully. Our leader and central tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahay and others were arrested. Police also fired on the mob. Many people have been injured in the firing,” Jharkhand Congress spokesperson Shailesh Sinha told IANS.
In many places in the city, police and protesters clashed. At least 13 people were injured. Police also resorted to firing rubber bullets on the crowd.
To control the situation, Ranchi district administration has imposed section 144 that prohibits the gathering of five or more people in the city.