9 arrested for pelting stones on Chouhan's vehicle

Nine suspected Congress workers were arrested on Monday for allegedly pelting stones on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's vehicle in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district.

No one was hurt in the incident on Sunday night near Churhat town, around 540 km from Bhopal, but a windowpane of the vehicle was damaged, police had said.

Churhat is the assembly constituency of Congress leader Ajay Singh, who is also the leader of Opposition in the assembly. The party has denied any role in the incident.

"Nine office-bearers of the Congress were arrested for hurling stones at Chouhan's vehicle," state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh told PTI.

It has been made on the basis of eyewitness accounts and more arrests cannot be ruled out, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said, adding that Chouhan's security had been ramped up.

District Superintendent of Police Tarun Nair identified the nine accused as Rambhilas Patel (52), Pankaj Singh Chauhan (32), Gaurav Singh Chauhan (21), Roshan Singh (18), Saurabh Dwivedi (19), Shivedra Singh (24), Saurabh Singh (21), Charan Singh (21) and Sanjay Singh (28). They were charged with rioting and on other counts.

Hitting out at the opposition party, the home minister alleged, "The Congress has started a new politics of violence. The Congress knows it cannot come to power in the state due to Chouhan. That is why, Congress leaders are hatching conspiracies to kill Chouhan."
State Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta on Monday accused the BJP of running a smear campaign against the party. "The home minister is accusing Congress leaders of hatching conspiracies to kill Chouhan. Why is he not asking the police to arrest such Congress leaders?