Cong behind LANCO public hearing violence: BJP       

     Raipur, January 08, 2012: A day after police assaulted villagers for opposing public hearing on the 1320 expansion project of private power producer LANCO, ruling BJP today accused the main opposition Congress of instigating people to resort to violence.

     “Congress is responsible for the cane charge by police on villagers,” BJP state President Ram Sewak Paikra, General Secretary Shiv Ratan Sharma and others have stated in separate statements.

     BJP President also charged that the criminal elements, on instruction from Congress party, had thrown stones during the public hearing, because of which police resorted to cane charge.

     For a balanced development of Chhattisgarh industry was essential along with agriculture, the BJP State President said apparently indicating his support for expansion of the power project in the state.

     Meanwhile, State BJP General Secretary Shiv Ratan Sharma also apparently justified the police assault on villagers saying when the SP and Collectors were coming out of the place of public hearing for acquiring land for the fourth and fifth expansion project of LANCO, Congressmen threw stones, because of which police resorted to cane charge.

     Congress has done harm to the villagers by disrupting the land acquisition process, Sharma said.

     In separate statements BJP State General Secretary Bhupendra Sawanni and State Secretary Sanjay Shrivastava have also criticized the Congress for opposing the public hearing of LANCO.