District BJP activists gather at Jamshedpur before leaving for Ranchi to take part in a rally before the chief minister’s residence. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Ranchi, May 23: Undeterred by teargas shells and water cannons, hundreds of BJP workers led by former chief minister Arjun Munda today demonstrated against soaring prices, inadequate water and power supply and other basic amenities and courted arrest on the last day of the BJP’s protest march.

Munda’s better half Meera Munda, too, was on the fore front of the agitation.

Life was virtually thrown out of gear in the city for more than three hours today soon after the BJP’s protest march began from Morabadi grounds around 2.30pm.

The rally was flagged off by BJP veteran Kailashpati Mishra. BJP state unit chief P.N. Singh came to the ground to boost the morale of the party activists despite undergoing treatments at the Nagarmal Modi Seva Sadan after sustaining head injuries during lathicharge two days ago.

According to plan, BJP cadre from Seraikela-Kharsawan and Jamtara districts were supposed to participate in today’s protest march. But several hundred party workers from other parts of the state, too, joined the demonstration to express solidarity with the Opposition leader, Munda.

Police had sealed all the roads leading to the chief minister’s residence. Ranchi deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police personally camped at the Kanke Road Chowk to keep an eye on the development.

Still, Munda managed to prove his point. He broke at least two barricades and squatted on a dharna at the Kanke Road Chowk for nearly two hours.

The police tried to stop the BJP activists soon after they reached near the New Market bursting teargas shells and pressing water cannons into service. But Munda trudged ahead with some of his supporters and overcame two barricades. At one point of time, a fire tender used for showering water on protesters “dried up”. As the roads were choked completely, it was not possible for the administration to rush another fire tender. The desperados struggled hard to reach the Kanke Road Chowk, where Munda was sitting on a dharna.

Consequently, the police had to resort to use of force, but no untoward incidents took place. A press note of the BJP, however, claimed that several party workers were hurt in the lathicharge.

Meera, the former chief minister’s wife, was not seen at Morabadi grounds when the rally began, but she did reach the Kanke Road Chowk after some time. She was accompanied by a group of women. Meera had probably taken some other route to reach the venue and courted arrest with her husband.

With this, the BJP’s protest march to the chief minister’s residence concluded. The second phase of agitation programme to overthrow the Koda government would be decided soon.

Till then, the commoners can heave a sigh of relief.