Dehradun, Feb 10: The Uttarakhand police used baton-charge on the youngsters who were demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the recruitment scams in the state after stones were allegedly pelted at them during a massive protest in Dehradun on Thursday, police said.

 

 

 

The police said the youngsters blocked the road near the Gandhi Park area from 10 am and the stone pelting led to a scuffle between police and protesters. Around 15 policemen and employees were injured in stone pelting and shops and government vehicles were damaged, they added.

 

 

 

“Today unemployed youth had gathered in front of Gandhi Park in Dehradun. Some anti-social elements tried to vitiate the atmosphere during the protests. First, stones were pelted at the police in front of Ghanta Ghar and then in front of Gandhi Park. Shops and government vehicles were damaged. Around 15 policemen and employees were injured in stone pelting. Because of all this very mild force was used. We are identifying these anti-social elements in the videography of the protests. We will take appropriate legal action after identifying such elements,” said Daleep Singh Kunwar, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dehradun. Bobby Panwar, state president of Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh, said the protesters blocked the Dehradun Road to press for their demands. “Youth is very angry. Yesterday the police used lathi charge to disperse us. Today also scores of youths were detained and released later. All we are demanding is a CBI inquiry into recruitment scams in the state and a thorough probe into the functioning of the recruitment agencies before the conduct of the examinations.” Panwar said some anti-social elements also pelted stones during the protest to give a bad name to the agitation of the youth. “We have been protesting peacefully but the government is ignoring the concerns raised by us,” he said. Uttarakhand Congress president Karan Mahara said he strongly condemns the use of force by the police on the youth who are agitating for a transparent investigation into the recruitment scams. “It is clear that the recruitment scams are happening under the patronage of the government and the rights of the unemployed youth of the state are being trampled. From the very first day, the Congress party has been demanding that these recruitments should be investigated under the supervision of a sitting judge of the High Court, but the attitude adopted by the BJP state government shows their intention is not right. . Why is the government shying away from getting these recruitment scams investigated by CBI or a sitting judge of the High Court?” he said.

 

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Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Our government is fully alert to protect the interests of the state’s youth. As before, we have neither suppressed nor hidden any recruitment scam. We have sent all the accused to jail. Our government has already decided that a strict law will be made to prevent irregularities in recruitment examinations. We are bringing the country’s most stringent anti-copying law. Such concrete arrangements are being made on this issue. We are committed to ensuring that all the examinations to be held in the future should be transparent and without any irregularities. No injustice to youth will be allowed. Our government is taking decisions in the interest of the youth. The youth are requested not to be misled by anyone.” Terming the agitation of youth as a political conspiracy of the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Mahendra Bhatt appealed to the youth to be patient and have faith in the steps taken by the government. Bhatt said youth should not take law into their own hands and get misled by Congress. “The Congress is provoking the youth from the very beginning because the government is taking strict action in the recruitment scams and the Congress cannot digest this. The state government is taking the harshest action against all those who are guilty of corruption in recruitment scams. Under the leadership of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, investigating agencies are doing a very good job in catching the people responsible for these scams”, he said