By IANS
Ranchi : More than a dozen vegetables sellers, mostly women, were injured Saturday when police cane charged a mob protesting the opening of vegetables shops by Reliance Fresh here.
Six people have been arrested.
Vegetables sellers stoned the Reliance shops in Lalpur locality and broke the window panes. They also damaged a number of cycles and generators found on the Reliance Fresh premises.
The vendors, mostly women, marched to the Reliance shops carrying bamboo sticks with a pumpkin on top and a basket of vegetables on their heads as they shouted slogans demanding closure of Reliance shops.
"Madhu Koda murdabad, Reliance murdabad (down with Chief Minister Madhu Koda, down with Reliance)", "Reliance close your shops", they shouted.
"Why is the state government allowing Reliance to open shops here. It is posing employment problems for us. We will continue our protest till the Reliance shops are closed," said Ram Kumar, a vegetables vendor.
Echoing his view, Jyoti Kumari said: "Thousands of people earn their livelihood by selling vegetables. The arrival of Reliance is posing a threat to our survival. Reliance should concentrate on its other businesses."
This is the second time in a week the vendors took out a procession in the state capital to protest Reliance Fresh shops.
Reliance has opened three shops in Ranchi and more shops are to be opened in the near future. The company directly purchases vegetables from farmers at prices higher than those offered by the vendors and sells at the vendors' price or even lower.