BKU activists, RLD protest Ajit Singh bungalow eviction order

Thousands of supporters of RLD chief Ajit Singh today pelted stones at the police during a protest against Centre's move to evict him from his official residence in Delhi, following which police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them, injuring at least 18 people.

Activists of Bhartiya Kisan Union and Rashtriya Lok Dal supporters took out a march towards Muradnagar, who had attempted to cut-off water supply to Delhi from the Gangnahar Muradnagar regulator but were prevented from doing so by the police.

"They (supporters) had given a call to cut water supply to Delhi and for that 10,000 supporters of BKU and RLD had assembled at the regulator at Muradnagar. It was a volatile situation because the crowd had come out with stones and bottles," Alok Sharma, IG, Meerut said.

Around 15 people, including seven-eight constables were injured during the clash.

"It was a huge call from Western UP and people had assembled from the Saharnpur, Moradabad, Agra, and Meerut range. At least eight constables and ten protesters have been injured in the incident," he said.

Lathicharge, along with tear gas and rubber bullets was used by the police to disperse the protesters, the IG added.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, D K Mittal said that security has been tightened around the checkpost on Delhi-Dehradun National Highway as a precautionary measure.

Cracking the whip, the government had last week disconnected power and water supplies to the official accommodations in Delhi of former union ministers and ex-MPs including Ajit Singh, Jitendra Singh, and Mohd Azharuddin who refused to vacate their premises.

The party supporters have called for restoring the supplies of the house of Ajit Singh and asked for the house to be converted into a memorial in the name of his father Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Meanwhile, Ajit Singh today said that the appeal for a memorial is a popular sentiment among farmers who keep visiting him at the Delhi residence and are attached to this house.

He also said that the supporters are angry with the "kind of treatment" meted out to him.

"From the past 36 years, and from the time I am staying here, many farmers who associate themselves with the name of Chaudhary sahab (Chaudhary Charan Singh) keep coming here. So, there is an emotion attached and people want a memorial to be built in his memory. I believe the government should think over this respecting the emotions of the people," the RLD president said.

"The people are angry with the kind of treatment that I have got. I know that I am not entitled to stay in this house. I am not an MP now. I had informed that I am going to shift by 24-25 September. Still the electricity was disconnected and that's why people are angry," he added.