Jharkhand BJP MLAs state president appear for questioning over ruckus during secretariat gherao

    Ranchi, Apr 22 (PTI) BJP's Jharkhand unit president Deepak Prakash and three party MLAs appeared before the police on Saturday for questioning in connection with the ruckus during their state secretariat gherao programme on April 11.
    Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal, Ranchi MLA CP Singh and Kanke MLA Samri Lal appeared for the questioning at the Dhurwa police station, besides the party's media co-in-charge Ashok Badaik.
    Prakash said, "On the direction of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the administration used water cannons, fired tear gas shells and baton charged us that day as we went to gherao the state secretariat over people's issues. Fake cases were also lodged."
    "We are BJP workers and we respect the law. As a notice was served to us, we came here to cooperate in the investigation. But, we will continue to fight for the cause of the people even if hundreds of cases are registered against us," he added.
    On April 15, a five-member BJP delegation met Governor CP Radhakrishnan and sought a judicial inquiry into the police action during the state secretariat gherao programme.
    They also told the governor that "fake cases" were lodged against them.
    Police have booked 41 BJP leaders, including Union Minister Arjun Munda, for allegedly violating prohibitory orders during the state secretariat gherao programme.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)