10 Congress leaders including Digvijay Singh booked for violating COVID-19 protocols

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, around 10 Congress leaders including former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh were booked for violating government orders. Congress workers were protesting against the allotment of land to the RSS, at Govind Pura Industrial Area, despite the imposition of section 144 in Bhopal.

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Over 10 Congress leaders including former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh were booked for violating government orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the police, Singh was protesting along with 200 Congress workers against the allotment of land to the RSS, at Govind Pura Industrial Area, despite the imposition of section 144 in Bhopal. A case was registered under sections 188, 147 and 269 in Bhopal's Ashoka Garden police station for protesting during the COVID-19 pandemic and violating government orders, said the police.

It said that apart from Singh, former minister PC Sharma and Congress district president Kailash Mishra are among the 10 party leaders who have been booked. Further action will be taken after identifying the video, said the police. As per the police, Singh accompanied by party workers was protesting in the Govindpura Industrial Area against the allotment of 10,000 square feet of land to Laghu Udyog Bharati Sanstha. Singh has alleged that Laghu Udyog Bharati Sanstha is an RSS-affiliated organisation and the land allotted to it by the Shivraj Singh-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh is actually a garden.

During the protest, police used water cannons on Singh and Congress workers to disperse them but after some time they resumed the sit-in demonstration. Singh had a heated argument with the district collector Avinash Lavania and DIG Irshad Wali, before resorting to water cannons.

After the dharna was over, Lavania had said that there would be an FIR against Congress workers for protesting without permission, following which a case was registered against Singh and others.

Bhopal Additional SP Rajesh Singh Bhadauria told ANI, "An FIR has been registered against Digvijay Singh and nine others, including former minister PC Sharma, former mayor Vibha Patel, Congress district president Kailash Mishra were booked under sections 188, 147, A case under 269 has been registered at Ashoka Garden police station."

(ANI)