Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday demanded the sacking of Home Minister P. Chidambaram over the police crackdown on its activists a day earlier in the national capital.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters that Chidambaram, being in charge of law and order in the city, should go.

“We demand from the prime Minister that he (Chidambaram) be sacked,” Sushma Swaraj said at a joint press conference also addressed by party colleague Arun Jaitley.

She said the party would have asked for Chidambaram’s resignation but he would not resign “due to (his) arrogance”.

Sushma Swaraj said the BJP had forced the adjournment of both houses of parliament Wednesday to protest the lathi charge on youth activists in Delhi and the killing of four farmers by police near Pune Tuesday.

“The government is not only corrupt, it is oppressive also. First they indulge in corruption and if someone raises voice, there is oppression,” she said.

She said the Delhi Police crackdown on the supporters of yoga guru Baba Ramdevr had led to one person losing an eye and a woman becoming handicapped for life.

“In yesterday’s incident, a handicapped was beaten up, resulting in an increase in his disability,” Sushma Swaraj said.

She said of the 52 youth wing activists injured Tuesday, one had suffered a spinal injury and another was injured in the head. Two dozen people had suffered fractures.

Sushma Swaraj said police also targeted a journalist, Shekhar Ghosh, as he had taken photographs of the crackdown.

Shiv Sena leader Anant G. Geete said there was no reason for police to open fire on farmers protesting in Pune against diversion of water.