Supporters lathi charged, prevented from thronging Laksar
PNS | DEHRADUN/ROORKEE
Khanpur MLA Umesh Kumar was detained by the police at Doiwala in Dehradun district on Friday while he was reportedly on his way to address a mass gathering in Haridwar district. Kumar was stopped at the Lachhiwala toll plaza and taken to the local police station. His wife, who was accompanying him, was sent back to Dehradun.
According to Kumar’s wife, they were going to participate in a peaceful meeting but the police detained him. He was released after nearly seven hours. Meanwhile, the police resorted to lathi charge to control a large number of people who had come from different areas and were going towards the MLA’s office in Laksar for a Mahapanchayat which he had earlier called for and later called off.
The Khanpur MLA had reportedly called for a Mahapanchayat on Friday in Haridwar which was expected to be attended by a large number of people from western Uttar Pradesh and across Uttarakhand. Authorities believed that the gathering could lead to law and order issues due to the ongoing conflict between Kumar and former MLA Pranav Singh ‘Champion’. As a precautionary measure, the police did not allow Kumar to travel to Haridwar from his residence in Dehradun on Friday. Later in the evening, Kumar shared a video on Facebook claiming that he had already cancelled the gathering but many of his supporters had not received the information on time and had gathered in Haridwar throughout the day. He also urged people to maintain peace, law and order.
Earlier, a large number of people started congregating at Laksar in Haridwar district on Friday morning on the call given earlier by the MLA. The police resorted to a lathi charge near the Govardhan police post to control the crowd. Heated verbal exchanges also took place between the police and Kumar’s supporters at the site.
The police had erected barricades on various intersections in the area considering the expected arrival of the MLA’s supporters. However, Kumar’s supporters managed to reach the location by other routes. The police halted traffic about half a kilometre from the MLA’s Laksar office. The police used mild force with a lathi charge to control Kumar’s supporters. Some persons also pelted stones at the police at Govardhanpur. The situation was soon brought under control.
