BJP, Congress Spar Over Atal Bihari Vajpayee Statue In Chhattisgarh

Norms related to unlawful assembly had to be imposed in an area in Bhilai in Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Sunday due to tension between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress over the unveiling of a statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 98th birth anniversary, a police official said.

The tussle started after Durg BJP MP Vijay Baghel arrived at Atal Smriti Garden in Camp 2 area here to unveil the statue and a group of Congressmen opposed the event saying due permission to unveil such statues had not been taken from the state government.

Baghel maintained the garden was owned by Bhilai Steel Plant since 2018 and a no-objection certificate from the Central PSU had been obtained.

However, a local Congress leader said the BJP had not followed laid down norms and. hence, the statue unveiling must not be permitted.

"The BJP contingent had permission from Bhilai Steel Plant but not from the district collector. Police took control of the situation by keeping the statue in a safe place and sealing the garden in the presence of the sub divisional magistrate," Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.

Section 145 (joining or continuing to be part of unlawful assembly despite it being commanded to disperse) of the Indian Penal Code has been imposed in the area where the garden is situated, the SP added.

No case has been registered in connection with the tussle, but a posse of policemen has been deployed at the site and surveillance was being done through drones, Pallava informed.

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