Lucknow, Jan 22 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi Friday demanded a high-level judicial probe into baton charge on agitating state government employees and teachers in the state capital and the slapping of an employee by the district magistrate.
She has also condemned the high-handedness of senior officials like the district magistrate and deputy inspector general of police, who personally wielded the baton and thrashed the demonstrators.

Lucknow District Magistrate Amit Kumar Ghosh also allegedly slapped an employee of the state agriculture department. The incident, captured on TV cameras, allegedly took place when Ghosh was taking a round of government offices to see whether employees had returned to work after the government declared their strike “illegal”.

Seeking registration of a criminal case against Ghosh, Joshi warned that if the government did not concede the Congress demand, the party would organise a protest Sunday.

Welcoming the solidarity shown by the Congress, State Employees Joint Action Committee president R.A.Dube said the employee allegedly slapped by Ghosh had done no wrong. “But simply to throw his weight around, the district magistrate walked into the agriculture directorate and slapped the first employee he saw.”

He said his organisation would intensify the agitation if Ghosh was not shifted from the post.

Asked to comment on the incident, state Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh pleaded ignorance. “I am not aware of the incident,” he told reporters here.

“We have not used any force against the employees, but at the same time we must not allow people to take law into their hands,” he added.

Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal told reporters later that beating a government employee is a crime, but no one has so far made any formal complaint against the district magistrate.