Youth Cong. rally turns violent

By Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 28. A rally organised by the All-India Youth Congress here to demand the resignation of the Vajpayee regime over the tehelka.com exposures turned violent and the Chandigarh police had to resort to canecharge and teargas to disperse hundreds of agitated activists.The president of the All-India Youth Congress, Mr.Randeep Singh Surjewala, was among those who were reportedly `brutally' beaten up by the cops.

Mr.Surjewala sustained multiple injuries and was first rushed to the General Hospital and later shifted to the PGI here. Among others who received multiple injuries was a woman advocate from Panipat in Haryana.

Trouble erupted after Mr.Surjewala had completed his speech and preparations were being made to proceed towards the Punjab and Haryana Raj Bhawans to submit memoranda to the respective State Governors. According to eye-witnesses, the police resorted to canecharge and teargassing after party activists led by Mr.Surjewala tried to break the cordon. However, according to official sources, a few Youth Congress activists first hurled bricks and stones at the policemen while attempting to break the barricades. The policemen retaliated by resorting to cane charge and teargassing. About 35 persons were rounded up.

Interestingly, earlier in the day groups of Youth Congress workers gathered outside party offices and marched towards the `Matka Chowk' near Sector 17.

Local level leaders from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh vied with each other to attract the attention of Mr.Surjewala and made claims and counter-claims about their role in mobilising the maximum number of activists for the `show.'

Mr.Sunil Parti, Executive Committee member of the CTCC, told this correspondent that the role of the police was `unwarranted' and appeared to have been dictated by those in `power'. Such repressive tactics by the Vajpayee regime would not deter the partymen from lodging their protest in a democratic fashion.

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