Police officers, party cadre injured in stone pelting by BJP, Congress workers in Puducherry

Several persons, including police officers, sustained minor injuries in stone pelting by the BJP and the Congress workers in Puducherry on Saturday.

The stone pelting occurred near the BJP office after Congress workers gathered there to protest in retaliation to the burning of an effigy of the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday night. 

The BJP workers had burnt the effigy of Mr. Gandhi as a mark of protest against the demonstration by the Youth Congress in an exhibition hall at the AI Impact Summit venue in New Delhi on Friday. On Saturday morning, Congress workers tried to barge into the BJP office to register their protest for the burning of the effigy of Mr. Gandhi. As some Congress workers tried to break the barricades and burn the effigy of the Prime Minister, BJP workers pushed back.

When the workers started hurling stones at each other, the police resorted to mild caning to disperse the protesters. Superintendent of Police Vamseedhar Reddy, a few other police officers and workers belonging to both the parties sustained minor bruises in the stone pelting. 

A delegation of Congress leaders led by former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and Pradesh Congress Committee chief and MP V. Vaithilingam staged a demonstration in the town to protest the burning of effigy in front of the PCC office. Cases have been registered against workers of both the BJP and the Congress in connection with burning of effigies and stone pelting.