Daijiworld Media Network - Nainital (SHP)
Nainital, Dec 7: A Uttarakhand Congress leader claimed that a BJP supporter chewed off the tip of one of his fingers while he was trying to sell onions at a low rate to protest soaring prices in Nainital on Friday. A case has been registered against the man, who, the BJP said was not linked to their party.
Reportedly, the Congress district general secretary Nandan Mehra tried calming down the accused identified as Manish Bisht. Bisht was hurling abuses at the protesting partymen and when Mehra moved further to pacify him, Bisht attacked his finger.
"He (Bisht) somehow got hold of my finger and chewed off its tip causing it to bleed. Meanwhile, some of the party members called the police to nab him," said Mehra.
Vice president of Congress Sevadal Ramesh Goswami said Bisht was shouting slogans, abusing and even misbehaving with women party workers in the group who were selling onions at Rs 30/kg at town’s Buddha Park area.
"I was just trying to calm him down as he was abusing all of us," Mehra concurred before adding, "He was definitely a BJP member disrupting our protest by such despicable means.”
A video of the incident, however, shows Congress members manhandling the man who was in an altercation with the group. Although there is no clarity on how the events unfolded post the scuffle.
Haldwani police station SHO Vikram Rathore said initial investigation suggested Bisht was either drunk or under the influence of some drugs.
"A probe is on," he added.
In the meantime, BJP district president Pradeep Bisht denied Manish links to the BJP.
"He has nothing to do with our party," he asserted.