Karnataka

Ten injured in lathi-charge

DAVANGERE: Ten persons were injured when the police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse workers of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress in SSM Nagar here on Wednesday night.

There was an altercation between Janata Dal (S) workers led by H.S. Nagaraj, the party candidate for Davangere South, and Congress workers led by S.S. Mallikarjun at SSM Nagar.

They alleged each other of distributing money to people. There were hundreds of workers on each side, and the police intervened and asked them to leave the place. Since their repeated plea seemed to fall on deaf ears, the police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. As many as six persons sustained serious injuries on their heads in the melee that followed.

Sonia Narang, Superintendent of Police, Davngere district, told presspersons here on Thursday that there was an unlawful assembly at SSM Nagar on Wednesday night. The police had got information that workers of both the parties were quarrelling. Nobody had been arrested, she said.

Dyaberi, Deputy Commissioner and Davngere District Election Officer, told presspersons that he had information that both the parties had gone to SSM Nagar in order to woo the voters. .

Mr. Nagaraj said he had gone there after his party workers got information that Congress workers were distributing money to people. He said that president of the Davangere district Congress Committee S.S. Mallikarjun had threatened him with dire consequences there.

At a press conference here, Mr. Mallikarjun refuted the allegations made by Mr. Nagaraj.

The Congress would never stoop to the level of distributing money or liquor to win votes, he said.

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