Ahmedabad, 20 August 2013

Police today beat up Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) workers brutally just outside the Police Commissioner office in Ahmedabad with lathis. Several VHP workers are injured and taken to hospital for treatment.

VHP workers were staging dharna just outside the Police Commissioner office against arrests of nine VHP workers including city Bajrang dal convener Jwalit Mehta today (Read: https://deshgujarat.com/2013/08/20/modis-police-pick-up-bajrang-dal-convener-at-2-45-am-on-raksha-bandhan-togadia-briefs-rajnath/ ) . Jwalit was picked up at 2.45 am on Rakshabandhan day. The arrests were made in connection with the incident in which VHP workers vandalized a painting exhibition of Pakistani artists. (Read, watch pictures/videos https://deshgujarat.com/2013/08/16/in-pictures-art-exhibition-featuring-paintings-of-11-pakistani-artists-stormed-in-amdavad/ )

In protest, a group of VHP workers gathered outside the police commissioner office today evening. They stopped vehicles of police outside the gate and didn’t allow vehicles of even police officers to go inside. After arguments with the cops, one VHP worker removed cap from policeman’s head, another worker hit a placard on policeman’s head. Angry police quickly reacted and started beating up the VHP workers with lathis. Police was beating them up so angrily that some VHP workers were injured, and at least three were shifted to hospital for CT scan.

VHP leader Dr. Pravin Togadia criticized such brutal action, and said the police official involved shall be challenged in court and in human right authority.

Togadia said that VHP workers stopped an exhibition where paintings of Pakistani artists were to be auctioned. On one hand when Pakistan attacks our jawans on border, how auction of paintings of Pakistani artists could be allowed? Togadia pointed out that VHP workers were arrested on Raksha bandhan, which is a major festival. Togadia said today’s dharna programme was peaceful.

In reference to his tweet tagging Rajnath Singh’s twitter handle on this subject, when Togadia was asked whether he spoke to Rajnath about today’s incidents, Togadia’s reply was ‘no’.

Pravin Togadia tweets:

VHP elderly workers were pulled, pushed and lathicharged brutally on head. Many were pinned to ground and kicked in the stomach. Rakshabandhan!

VHP state General Secretary serious. CT scan on after deep injury in brutal police lathicharge for peaceful protests against Pakistani paintings and midnight arrests.

Pakistani paintings worth whatever were invited and displayed to humiliate sisters of armymen killed by Pakistan on border? Appeasing Pakistan, injuring Hindus!

Without state government’s permission, foreign exhibitions can’t take place. For that Hindus are beaten.