J'khand: Union min, ex-CMs among 41 BJP members booked for Sec144 violation

An FIR was registered against 41 BJP leaders and workers, including Union minister Arjun Munda and former chief ministers Raghubar Das and Babulal Marandi, for violating prohibitory orders during the saffron party's recent secretariat gherao programme in the Jharkhand capital, an official said on Thursday.

Police had burst tear gas shells, used water canons and lathi-charged the protestors to prevent them from marching towards the secretariat on Tuesday, where prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc were clamped. The administration had said the violators will be booked.

R N Alok, Additional District Magistrate (law and order) said the FIR was registered at Dhurwa Police Station against 41 people based on a complaint lodged by the executive magistrate posted on the spot.

Reacting to the registering of the FIR, Munda called it a "political conspiracy".

He said the BJP observed 'black day' on Wednesday in protest against the manner in which the police baton-charged the saffron party workers. To protest the "police atrocities", they brought out a symbolic "funeral procession" of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Ranchi Police had on Tuesday said it resorted to "mild lathi-charge" and used tear gas when agitators broke through the barricades and tried to force their way towards the secretariat.

The BJP organised the march to protest the deteriorating law and order, prevailing corruption and high rate of unemployment in the mineral-rich state.