By IANS,
Ranchi : Former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinhqa and former chief minister Arjun Munda were among hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protesters arrested during an agitation in the Jharkhand capital Thursday.
The BJP is demanding dissolution of the state assembly that has been put under suspended animation and fresh elections in Jharkhand, which is under President’s Rule since Jan 19.
The President’s Rule had to be imposed in Jharkhand after Shibu Soren, then chief minister, stepped down following a defeat in a key by-election.
Around 10,000 BJP workers tried to break barricades to reach the governor house, Raj Bhavan, for the agitation “Ghera Dalo Dera Dalo”. Sinha and Munda were leading the protesters.
State party president Raghubar Das and BJP legislators also joined the protests to Raj Bhavan that was fortified and all its four gates were barricaded.
Authorities put in heavy security arrangements to thwart the BJP agitation.
Minor clashes also broke out between the police and BJP workers near the gate number two of Raj Bhavan. The police used water cannons and batons to disperse the protesters.
Hundreds of BJP workers, including senior leaders Sinha and Munda, were taken into preventive custody, said a police officer.
The BJP termed the agitation as success. “This is success of our agitation. The administration made the governor (Syed Sibtey Razi) captive for several hours as all the gates were barricaded and no one was allowed to come outside or go inside. This is the success of our agitation,” Das told reporters.
The administration diverted traffic on the routes leading to the governor’s house, putting people, particularly students, into hardship.