Congress and BJP workers lock horns over installation of open air gymnasium

Ferozepur, July 22, 2016: Youth Congress and BJP workers locked their horns during a high voltage drama at local Municipal council office today.
The youth congress workers led by Amarpreet Singh Lally, Youth Congress President and Congress MLA from Ferozepur Parminder Singh, had announced to lock down the MC office today over installation of an open gymnasium in the city’s town hall park. While the congress leaders were accusing the BJP-led Municipal Council of an attempt to sabotage the project which was sanctioned under MPLAD by Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni, the MC authorities were blaming the Congress MLA Parminder Singh Pinki of launching the project without any formal approval. Earlier, also the congress workers were holding protest for the last several days infront of the park. However, the BJP MC President Ashwani Grover did not pay any heed following which the congress workers had threatened to lock down the MC Office today.
Heavy police force was already deputed by the administration to avoid any clash between the youth congress workers and the MC officials including hundreds of safai sewaks. However, the youth congress workers reached MC office, things took an ugly turn and both rival groups started pelting stones at each other. While the congress workers were forcibly trying to lock down the main gate, the other group carrying baseball bats and lathis, were trying to prevent them. Meanwhile, the situation became worse when few unidentified persons opened fire.
Sandip Singh Garha, SDM, Rachhpal Singh, SP (D), Rajbir Singh, SP (Hq), Vibhor Sharma, DSP, Ferozepur along with several police officials from police stations Ferozepur City, Ferozepur Cantt, Ferozepur Sadar and Kulgarhi reached the spot and tried to pacify the situation however later the police resorted to light lathicharge and used tear gas also due to which the youth congress workers scattered.
MC President Ashwani Grover said that the Congress workers were trying take law in hands by locking down the MC gate. “These people are protesting for their vested interests. They (congress workers) did not take any permission to install the gymnasium in the park. Grover said that the Congress MLA should have taken up the matter with MC, rather than starting the construction without any consent. Today, they were trying to take law in their hand we were just trying to protect ourselves. I will also lodge a complaint about the incident”, said Grover. However, no case was registered till filing of this report.