BJP youth leader arrested, Dhanera BJP chief accused in Rahul attack

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth wing leader was arrested and the Dhanera City BJP president named as an accused on Saturday in connection with the attack on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's car when he was visiting north Gujarat's flood-affected Banaskantha district on Friday.

The action came more than 18 hours of night-long dharna and demonstration by Congress leaders and scores of district level supporters.

Palanpur unit BJP youth wing general secretary Jayesh Darji was arrested by the Banaskantha district police after registering an FIR, which also names three others.

The others are Dhanera City BJP president Modhsinh Rao and Bhagwanbhai Patel, chairman of Dhanera Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC). It is from the APMC market yard in Dhanera that the wave of protests against Rahul Gandhi started.

The police had through the night refused to take the complaint from former Gujarat Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia and others till a meeting between district police and senior officers.

While the demand of the Congress leaders to include Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code for attempt to murder was not conceded, the sections that have been invoked provide for imprisonment up to a maximum of three years.

Section 332 of the IPC for voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty that provides for jail up to three years, Section 337 for causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others and inviting imprisonment up to six months, and Section 427 for mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50 or more and this provides for punishment up to two years in jail have been invoked against the accused persons.

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi faced hostile black-flag waving crowds shouting slogans in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tour of flood hit Dhanera town in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, forcing him to beat a retreat. His car was also pelted with stones, shattering some windows, while his personal security officer was injured when a piece of concrete was hurled at the car.

--IANS

desai/rn