BJP, Congress workers clash over unveiling of Atal’s statue in Bhilai

The scuffle began when BJP workers, led by party MP Vijay Baghel, arrived at Atal Smriti Garden in Camp 2 area in Bhilai to unveil the statue and a group of Congressmen opposed the event saying permission had not been taken from the district collector.

Supporters of the BJP and the Congress clashed in Bhilai city in Durg district of Chhattisgarh over the unveiling of a statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 98th birth anniversary on Sunday, following which police had to beef up security arrangements and impose norms related to unlawful assembly in the area.

The scuffle began when BJP workers, led by party MP Vijay Baghel, arrived at Atal Smriti Garden in Camp 2 area in Bhilai to unveil the statue and a group of Congressmen opposed the event saying permission had not been taken from the district collector.

The BJP workers said they were celebrating Vajpayee’s birth anniversary in the garden for the last five years. However, a local Congress leader said the BJP had not followed laid-down norms and hence, the statue unveiling must not be permitted.

The argument snowballed into a physical fight following which additional police force was rushed to the spot to disperse the workers. The police also sealed the garden to avoid further ruckus.