By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 9 Feb: A large number of unemployed youth gathered in Gandhi Park and outside this morning and created a ruckus. To control the situation, the Police had to resort to a lathicharge. In return, the youth also pelted stones at the Police.
It may be recalled that these youth have been protesting against the recruitment scams in Uttarakhand. They are also demanding that all recruitment tests be put on hold till the proposed anti-cheating law is enacted. In fact, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued an appeal to the youth not to be misled by vested interests and he also promised that, soon, a very strict anti- rigging law would be enacted in the state. He also promised very stringent punishment for all those responsible for the recruitment scams.
The presence of a large number of youth blocking the roads led to a traffic jam in the city all around Rajpur Road, which then resulted in Police resorting to a lathicharge to disperse the crowd. A lot of sloganeering against the government and the police by the youth was also heard through the day.
In fact, sources close to the agitating youth claimed that the situation escalated today because the police had picked up many youth from outside the Gandhi Park, last night, which had angered them.
District Magistrate Sonika also reached Gandhi Park and tried her best to convince the youth to give up the agitation and promised positive consideration of their demands. However, the youth did not listen. They also pursued their demand for a CBI inquiry into all the recruitment tests held in recent years. Even after the lathi charge and the pelting of the stones, the youth continued to sit on dharna outside the Gandhi Park in support of their demands.
Rajpur Road remained blocked for traffic as a result of the dharna.
It may be recalled that last night’s action of the Doon police of picking up some participants from the dharna site had angered the unemployed youth. This is the reason why the police officers who came to pacify them today had to return empty-handed.
The SSP, DIG, Garhwal, and even the DM tried to pacify them, but the youth remained adamant on their demands. A heavy police force is deployed at the spot. A constant tussle between the police and the youth was seen throughout the day. Sources added that the lathicharge and the stone pelting have resulted in several injuries.
This movement escalated so much that the youth had to be lathicharged by the police, after which many people suffered injuries.
Meanwhile, some Congress leaders also reached the spot to lend support to the agitating youth.
