Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
Video Producer: Shohini Bose
An FIR has been registered against two people for allegedly misbehaving with Deputy Collector Priya Verma during a demonstration held by BJP workers in Rajgarh on Sunday, 19 January, in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act. One of the accused has been arrested.
In a video posted by ANI, Deputy Collector Verma can be seen approaching the pro-CAA member and dragging them towards the direction of uniformed police officers. The video next shows Verma slapping and hitting a member. Several members are then seen surrounding her, after which a member pulls her hair from the back.
The rally was taken out despite prohibitory orders in place in Rajgarh since Saturday night and according to officials, requests were made to the BJP to cancel the demonstration.
"Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC are in place in the district. While we were doing our duty, a crowd came from the other side and misbehaved with us," she said.
Another FIR has been registered for violation of Section 144 in which 124 people are named and 17 accused have been arrested.
Verma told PTI on Sunday night that some men from the crowd misbehaved with herself and the collector.
Verma said a man pulled her hair from back and claims another kicked her in the waist.
"We have lodged a complaint with the police against two men for misbehaving with us. One of them has been identified as Singh while another is yet to be identified, but we have his picture," she added.
MP Collector Nivedita Seen Dragging Demonstrators
In another video captured by ANI, Collector Nidhi Nivedita is seen dragging a demonstrator waving a flag and handing him to the police.
“Demonstrators tore the clothes and pulled the hair of officers deployed in the region. I was surprised at how little law meant to them. They were kicking the sub-district magistrate (SDM) and assaulting officials,” she said in an interview with ANI after the incident.
Responding to the incident and the videos, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said “it is a black day for democracy, the Collector slapped people who were chanting 'Bharat Mata ki jai' and holding the tricolor in their hands, this is too much. We will not tolerate this at any cost, did Kamal Nath order the Collector to do this?”
Chauhan further stated that he will be arriving in Rajgarh on 22 January to protest against the brutality by the local administration.
“I cannot tolerate such an event at any cost. I will come to Rajgarh on January 22 and protest against the brutality committed by the administration along with the innocent people there,” he said.
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