FIR against Baghel for staging sit-in

Based on a complaint lodged by the office of the Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the Raipur Police filed an FIR against the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Bhupesh Baghel for staging a demonstration before the CEO's office. Raipur's Golbazar police filed the FIR for the violation of section 144 of the CrPC.

Baghel had staged the sit-in on November 19 at the office of the CEO after a fake Congress-authored letter emerged in the social media, just a day before the second phase of polling on November 20.

Baghel also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party state in-charge Anil Jain, and the national co-organisation secretary, Saudan Singh, an outsider, were staying in Raipur even as the polling was scheduled on November 20.

The BJP, meanwhile, rejected Bhagel's allegations, and said that Saudan Singh, is now a resident of Raipur.

The CEO too said that the state in-charge of the BJP can stay in the party office as long as his movements were intimated.

The police officials said that with election process on and the model code of conduct in place, no protest or sit-in can be organised before a government office. Bhupesh Baghel was involved in violation of the rule, they said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Prafulla Thakur said, “A report was received from the CEO's office after which the case has been registered.”

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party government, the Congress said the BJP wants to deal with political protest with the brute force of the police.

Addressing the media, Congress leaders, Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, Ruchir Garg, Kiranmayee Nayak and Dr Rakesh Gupta voiced objections: “Police registered a case against Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president, Bhupesh Baghel on the initiative of the BJP. This points towards dictatorship through police in the final days of the government.”

“For the last 15 years Congress has been playing positive opposition bringing out the government's shortcomings, but the government proved that it does not believe in democratic values,” the leaders stated.

“It is under the leadership of Bhupesh that all the ills of the government including scams and corruption are in the public domain. It was under pressure, the government was forced to purchase 15 quintals from the farmers, and to pay the promised bonus to the farmers, due to which the government has slapped innumerable cases against the state party chief.”

The Congress leaders also said that the days are not far when the game of filing false cases will end, and soon those involved in all the scams -- politicians along with the government officials aiding it -- will go to jail, as the Congress, with a massive majority, are going to form the government.

Congress leader Kiranmayee Nayak said, “It is a conspiracy against Bhupesh Baghel. Even the roadshow conducted by the BJP national president along with candidates in Raipur was in violation of the model code of conduct.”