Jaipur, Mar 7 : Agitating lawyers today clashed with police and went on a rampage torching a vehicle and vandalising a check post to protest against yesterday's police action against them during a march to the Rajasthan Assembly.
DCP Mahendra Singh was injured as the protesters pelted stones and fought pitched battles with the police, which used batons and tear gas shells to disperse them.
“The lawyers pelted stones at police from sessions court building and collectorate building around noon.
They burnt a police van and vandalise a police chowky in the collectorate building,” Additional Commissioner of police Biju George Joseph told PTI.
“In the heavy stone pelting, DCP, North, Mahendra Singh received head injury,” he said, adding “police had to resort to lathicharge and tear gas shells were lobbed to control the tense situation”.
The lawyers are on an indefinite strike from today against yesterday's police action which left 30 advocates injured when the protesters were marching near the state legislative building to press their demands including a monthly stipend for new practising lawyer for a period of five years and housing scheme.
Security personnel were deployed in strength in the area to control the situation even as lawyers claimed that a large number of their colleague were “hiding” in the session court building and the nearby collectorate building to escape police action.
Even as violence erupted outside for the second day, the issue was raised in the Assembly with the opposition demanding suspension of police officials and lodging of FIR against them for the crackdown on lawyers but the Rajasthan government justified the police action.
Minister of State for Home Virendra Beniwal said that the action was taken to maintain law and order as the lawyers were marching towards the assembly building with an intention to disturb law and order yesterday.
The issue was raised in the legislative assembly by BJP Whip Rajendra Rathore who alleged that the police intensionally targeted the lawyers who were peacefully demonstrating near the assembly yest.
He demanded suspension of errant police officials and lodging of FIR against them, alleging that the action was taken without any warning and women lawyers were also beaten up by police.
The Minister, however, stated that the lawyers marched towards the building and uprooted barricades after ignoring warnings from the police.
They pelted stones and a few policemen including DCP, South, Don K Jose and inspector Bhopal Singh were injured in stone pelting.
The minister said some lawyers also received injuries while they were trying to remove the barricades. His statement sparked an uproar with the Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria leading a walkout by the Opposition MLAs.
Kataria demanded that the state government end the deadlock and warned that the situation could go worse if the government did not initiate immediate action.
The lawyers were marching towards the assembly building yesterday when Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was presenting the state budget.
A lawyer Rajesh Pareek, who claimed to be inside the session court building, said over phone that police lathicharged the lawyers today when they were moving peacefully towards Collectorate office from Sessions Court.
