INDORE: Political tension flared in Bhagirathpura area on Saturday as BJP and Congress workers engaged in a fierce confrontation, trading slogans over deaths of 10 people due to contaminated water, reports Sagar Choukse. The confrontation occurred when a Congress fact-finding panel visited the affected locality, prompting police intervention and multiple detentions. Indore officials confirmed another death due to diarrhoea, raising toll to five.When the Congress fact-finding committee arrived to meet affected families, they were met by a large group of BJP workers who staged a counter-protest, shouting “Outsiders go back”. In response, Congress supporters chanted ‘Ghanta Party Murdabad’ (referencing a recent statement by a state minister).The situation escalated as some protesters waved black flags, while others reportedly threw black bangles at the opposing faction. A slipper was also hurled at Congress politician and former state minister Sajjan Singh Verma. As the standoff threatened to turn violent, ACP Amit Singh and other senior police officers intervened. Congress politicians, including Verma, party MLA (Tarana) Mahesh Parmar, party MLA (Sardarpur) Pratap Grewal, state women’s Congress president Reena Bourasi, and city Congress president Chintu Choukse, were forcibly put in police vehicles and removed from the site.“Around 40-50 Congress workers were arrested for disturbing the peace,” additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya said, adding that the crowd was dispersed. Later, the politicians were released from central jail on filling bonds. Verma launched a scathing attack on the state govt, describing the incident as “murder of democracy” and adding that “police are acting as shields for BJP workers while we are stopped from meeting grieving families”.Meanwhile, chief medical and health officer Dr Madhav Hasani reported that as of Saturday 356 patients were hospitalised, of which 209 had been discharged.
