Ranchi police lodged an FIR against 28 named BJP leaders, including two MPs, and at least 1,200 unknowns, for violence during the party's march to the Vidhan Sabha on September 8 in violation of Covid-19 protocols to protest against the allotment of a namaz room within the Assembly precincts.

State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash and Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth are among those named in the FIR.

A senior officer at Dhurwa police station said, “An FIR was lodged against 28 named and several unnamed people, numbering over 1,200 from the BJP, for illegally taking out a padyatra and resorting to gherao of the Assembly based on a complaint submitted by city circle officer Amit Bhagat.”

Bhagat has confirmed that he submitted his complaint to the police on Wednesday.

Asked about the sections under which the FIR was registered, the Dhurwa police officer said, “Several cases of IPC pertaining to obstructing government officials from performing duties, violence, attempts to communalise, threatening peaceful environment, among others. These apart, relevant charges under the Disaster Management Act were also pressed for holding the protest in violation of the state government’s Covid-19 curbs.”

Calls by The TelegraphOnline to Senior SP S.K. Jha and city SP Saurabh went unanswered.

Around 7,000 BJP supporters from across districts, led by the state BJP top brass, began a march to the Assembly from Harmu ground covering a distance of about 10 km on September 8. However, a section of the protestors clashed with police near the Jagannathpur temple after allegedly breaking security barricades, forcing police to first use water-cannons and then resort to lathicharge.

The BJP claimed the police action resulted in serious injuries to at least a dozen of its supporters.

On Friday, the BJP criticized police and the Hemant Soren government of lodging "false" cases against its party leaders. It also claimed that the Speaker’s move to form a review panel on the namaz room indicated that the government was on the defensive.

Addressing a joint press conference, state BJP president Prakash and MLA Amar Kumar Bauri said that under no circumstance would the BJP climb down on the issue.

Commenting on the FIR, Prakash said the state government was trying to muzzle voices of protest in a democratic country. “We took out a silent protest on September 8. All our party workers were unarmed and on a silent padyatra. But we have been accused of violence. We were beaten by lathis by police without any provocation. Let the government file cases, BJP will continue to fight for the people.”

Prakash welcomed the Speaker's move to set up a committee. “We welcome the decision to set up a seven- member panel. It was only because of the BJP’s fight to safeguard constitutional norms that the Speaker was forced to do so. We see it as a step back by the Hemant Soren government.”

Bauri warned of more protests if the namaz room order was not rescinded. “BJP is committed to serve the nation and its constitution and we will not allow Talibanisation of Jharkhand. It will not become second Afghanistan.”