Uttarakhand Police on Saturday registered a case against a legislator in Dehradun after BJP activists vandalized a Christian school on the day of a shutdown called by the party.
Dehradun, May 3 : Uttarakhand Police on Saturday registered a case against a legislator in Dehradun after BJP activists vandalized a Christian school on the day of a shutdown called by the party.
The youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ransacked the school on Friday when the BJP issued a call for a nationwide shutdown to protest against inflationary trends in the economy.
The school Principal alleged that the security guard of the school saw Ganesh Joshi, a legislator who was involved in the case standing outside the school gate.
The party cadres broke windowpanes of the Grace Academy School and engaged in a scuffle with the Principal Benjamin Newton.
"Around 11.30 a.m. on Friday, a mob entered the school. I went outside to investigate the matter. They asked us whether the school was closed. I replied in the affirmative. But they said that they could see children from outside. They roughed me up, pushed me aside and went in. They came till the reception and saw that all the classes were shut. They enquired about the principal and they hailed me with blows when I admitted that I was the principal," said Benjamin Newton, principal.
Newton charged the police with negligent behaviour as they failed to respond and even delayed in registering the case against the miscreants.
Police lodged an FIR (First Information Report) when several educational institutions came out in support of Benjamin Newton.
"Grace Academy has filed a complaint against MLA Ganesh Joshi (BJP) for causing damages and for engaging in a scuffle. They told us that some people came along with MLA to beat up the principal and also broke his glasses," Ashok Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Garhwal, told reporters on Saturday.
Newton also said that if the miscreants were not arrested, the school would remain shut for indefinite period.
However, Joshi played down the entire incident as a minor fracas and brushed aside all the allegations.
"For the first time in my political career of 23 years I found that the shops were closed till evening. A few people deliberately created such a situation. So if members of our party displayed aggressive behavior then I don't consider it wrong," said Ganesh Joshi, MLA, BJP.
Joshi in his defense said that he went to the school to stop his party members from ransacking the school.
ANI