Slaps, Hair Pulling – In Madhya Pradesh, Deputy Collector Priya Verma, Officials vs Pro-CAA Protesters

Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh:

Violence broke out at a pro-citizenship law rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district on Sunday after officials and local police clashed with CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) supporters determined to carry out a march despite imposition of prohibitory orders. District Collector Nidhi Nivedita slapped a BJP worker after protesters assaulted two Deputy Collectors, Priya Verma and Shruti Agrwal, and a few police officers. At least three people were injured as cops resorted to a lathi-charge to control the situation.

“Permission was denied to hold a rally… still around 50 to 100 persons, violating Section 144, took out the march. When they were stopped by police and administration, those present started misbehaving… pulled one of our women officers by her hair and kicked her, besides trying to pull clothes of both women officers,” Ms Nivedita said.

In a video of the clash that was shared online by news agency ANI, Priya Verma (who is wearing a pink jacket and a blue scarf) can be seen forcing her way through a crowd of people holding Indian flags and squatting on the road.

#WATCH Madhya Pradesh: A protestor pulls hair of Rajgarh Deputy Collector Priya Verma, after she hits BJP workers and drags them. The clash broke out during a demonstration in support of #CAA. pic.twitter.com/7ckpZaFBkJ

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2020

The nearly 75-second long video shows Ms Verma grabbing some men by their collars and dragging them to be taken away by cops. Other shots show her slapping and shouting at others, as a crowd of angry pro-CAA supporters gather around her.

Towards the end of the video an unidentified man can be seen yanking on her hair, causing the hair band to fall off. However, the video doesn’t show either Ms Verma or Ms Agrawal being kicked.

In another video, Ms Nivedita can be seen confronting a furious protester held by back by several policeman. Amid a deafening din of chanting and shouting, the District Collector slaps the man.

राजगढ़ में नागरिकता कानून के समर्थन में निकली रैली में कलेक्टर ने जड़ दिये बीजेपी कार्यकर्ता पर थप्पड़! @ndtvindia@shailendranrb@ajaiksaran#UPBJYMSUPPORTSCAA#CAA_NRCProtests#CAA2019pic.twitter.com/ZlSDIakesv

— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) January 19, 2020

Section 144 was imposed in the district on Saturday. However, BJP workers, led by former MLAs Amar Singh Yadav, Mohan Sharma and Dilbar Singh Yadav, the President of the district unit of the party, took out a ‘tiranga yatra‘ nonetheless.

The BJP, which is in the opposition in the state, had a dramatic response to the incident in Rajgarh, calling it a “black letter day” for democracy.

“Collector madam… which law book have you read that empowers you to beat up and drag citizens protesting peacefully? Congress-led government should hear it loud and clear that Hitlerism with people of MP would not be tolerated,” former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

The Congress hit back by blaming the BJP, with spokesperson Narendra Saluja pointing out the opposition party had carried out the march despite being denied permission.

“Carrying out march-procession sans permission and then misbehaving with women officers exposes that BJP wants to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere and has no respect for women,” he tweeted.

Two FIRs have been registered against 124 people in connection with the incident; one for molestation, naming two people, and the other for violation of Section 144. Seventeen people have been arrested so far, according to news agency ANI, including one for the attack on Ms Verma

The CAA, which was rushed through parliament last month, makes religion the test of Indian citizenship for the first time. The government claims it will help non-Muslim refugees from Muslim-dominated neighbouring countries if they fled because of religious persecution. However, critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.

With input from ANI