Bhopal: Targetting the vehicle of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, miscreants hurled stones and waved black flags on Sunday. The Chief Minister was touring the state ahead of the assembly elections, in Churhat area near Sidhi district.
In a 15-second video shared on social media, people are seen showing black flags towards the bus carrying Chouhan while the vehicle tries to make way through the crowd.
#WATCH: Black flags shown to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan & stones hurled at his vehicle in Sidhi during Jan Ashirwad Yatra. (02.09.18) pic.twitter.com/OVHoPVy7Hx
— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2018
Nearly 20 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Chouhan, who was touring the state in a bus modified as a chariot, was not hurt in the incident, said Churhat Police Inspector Ram Babu Choudhari.
The police officer did not give any further information, saying he was busy discharging his duties at a public meeting of the chief minister in the district.
Stones were hurled at Chouhan's vehicle in Churhat area, which is the assembly constituency of Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh, Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said. Churhat is about 25 km from the district headquarters.
Later addressing a public meeting in the district as part of his Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Chouhan dared Singh to come in the open and fight with him.
"Ajay Singh, if you have strength come in open and fight with me," he said.
"I am physically weak but I won't be bogged down by your deeds. People of the state are with me," he added.
In a press release, Singh said no Congressman was involved in the stone-pelting incident. He said his party does not follow the culture of violence.
"I suspect that it was a well thought and hatched conspiracy aimed at defaming me and people of Churhat," he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
