(MENAFN- IANS) Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 (IANS) The Bhubaneswar Police on Friday arrested eight congress workers including the president of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) of Odisha unit on the charges of attacking and issuing threats to police officials while holding a protest against Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat here on January 30.
The accused workers of NSUI, the student wing of the Indian National Congress (INC), were identified as Udit Pradhan (27), president of NSUI, Odisha , Hemanta Pradhan, Aditya Ansaman Patra, Sahil Mohanty, Chandan Sahoo, Sidhanta Om Prakash, Tapas Dey, and Auro Kumar Nayak.
On Thursday, the city police had put in place heavy security arrangements in view of the visit of the RSS Sarasanghachalak Bhagwat from Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti at Mancheswar to Jaydev Bhawan in Unit-IV to attend a programme.
“Mohan Bhagwat, a Z+ category security protectee, was under high-security cover. At around 6.05 p.m., more than 20 NSUI members, led by Udit Pradhan unlawfully assembled near Blue Wheel Hospital Chowk, carrying placards and black flags, and started shouting slogans such as 'Mohan Bhagwat, Go Back' when Bhagwat's carcade was passing by the Chowk,” said a senior police officer.
The police sources further claimed that the staff of Mancheswar Police station deployed at the Chowk intervened and urged congress workers to disperse to maintain security.
However, the NSUI workers did not give any heed to the cops and tried to breach the police cordon to allegedly detain and harm the RSS chief.
The protesters reportedly turned violent, used obscene language, issued threats, and attacked police personnel when the latter tried to disperse the NSUI members.
"With great difficulty, the police detained Udit Pradhan and seven others and seized a black Scorpio (Regd. No: OD-02-DB-1110) used by them, while the remaining members fled the scene,” a police source said.
The arrested NSUI members have reportedly applied criminal force against police officials in order to escape from the police custody.
The Mancheswar Police arrested the eight NSUI members by registering a case (41/25) under sections (2) and (3) of 191 (rioting), 132, 121(1), 296, 351(3), ad 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The police personnel have also seized a Bolero vehicle used by the accused NSUI members.
The NSUI members were on Friday presented before the court that sent them to 14 days' judicial custody.
Notably, the Congress party is protesting against Bhagwat for his remarks suggesting that India's "true independence" was achieved with the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
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