BJP workers lathi-charged by police in UP

Lucknow, Aug 24 (PTI) BJP workers were today lathi-charged by police as they attempted to gherao Vidhan Bhawanwhen the House was in process to protest against the law andorder situation in the state. The BJP workers assembled at party headquarters andattempted to march towards Vidhan Bhawan where heavybarricading was done by police. The workers, including party MPs and MLAs, broke thebarricading and continued their march towards Vidhan Bhawanafter which police used water cannon and then used force todisperse them. "The protest is against the poor law and order situationwhich the government itself admitted to in the Assemblyyesterday," BJP state general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathaksaid. "The government in a written reply yesterday admittedthat in past over five months, 1,012 cases of rapes and 4,520of women harassment have been registered in Uttar Pradesh," hesaid. "From March 15 to August 18 this month, 1,012 cases ofrape, 4,520 cases of women harassment, 1,386 of loot and 86cases of dacoity have been reported in the state," the UPgovernment had informed in reply to a question by BJP memberSatish Mahana in the state assembly. For effective check on such crimes, Crime Branch has beenconstituted in every district under Additional SP (Crime) itsaid. The reply said through web-based mapping, hotspots ofcrimes are being identified and effective patrolling is beingensured. PTI AVA AAR DVAAR