By Waquar Hasan

NEW DELHI: Members of the Kushwaha community, along with Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes attendees, allegedly beat up two Bajrang Dal men who were accused of disrupting an event and tearing a copy of the Constitution in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

A video circulating on social media shows two men being assaulted by a crowd in the presence of police personnel. The men are reported to be Bajrang Dal leaders who allegedly created a disturbance during an event held in honour of Emperor Ashoka. The incident occurred on Sunday at Manas Bhawan, where the Kuswaha Janjagriti and Vikas Samiti was observing “Priyadarsh Samrat Ashok Mahan Dhamm Day.”

According to reports, two members of the Hindutva organisation confronted a bookseller at the venue, accusing him of selling “anti-Hindu” literature. They then allegedly assaulted the bookseller, leading to heightened tension among the crowd.

A police officer commenting on the incident said:“At the Manas Bhawan, an event of the Kushwaha community was going on where some workers of the Bajrang Dal went there accusing the sale of controversial books. In this regard, there was a situation of fracas in which two men got injured. The workers of the Hindu organisation had come to the police station to protest in this regard. We were explained the issue. Further action will be taken in the matter.”

Congress MLA Lakhan Ganghoria, who attended the event, accused the Hindutva workers of tearing up a copy of the Constitution.

“It was good that the conference for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was going on. Some anti-social elements came and tore up the Constitution book. It was the people with a Sanghi ideology who tore it up with the support from the administration. Instead of taking action against them, the person who set up the book stall in which the Constitution book was torn, is being investigated by the police asking if he has a license. Do you need a license to read or sell the Constitution? For what style do you need a license for the Constitution?” Ganghoria told reporters.

This story was originally published in thehindustangazette.com. Read the full story here.