Police burst teargas shells to disperse minor irrigation department employees. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Aug. 2: Violence erupted on the opening day of the Jharkhand Assembly session with the police resorting to a lathicharge and using teargas shells to disperse a group of minor irrigation department employees demonstrating near the House.

At least four persons, among them a photo-journalist, were injured in the clash that broke out around 12.30 pm.

The Jharkhand police jawans used their batons with full fury on members of the minor irrigation department employees association who were trying to break the security cordon near Birsa Chowk to force their way into the Assembly premises around. Being the first day, the Assembly had been by then been adjourned for the day after making obituary references.

The association members, who have been sitting on a dharna for the past 20 days, are demanding regularisation of services of 1,280 temporary workers.

A photojournalist of a local daily, Diwakar Prasad, two members of the association and a constable sustained injuries. They were initially taken to the Sadar Hospital from where Prasad was shifted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences.

Ranchi superintendent of police Ashish Batra said his men had to use force because the protesters were trying to break the cordon. Batra claimed the injuries were “minor”.

The injured employees, however, said the police beat them unprovoked. “We were peacefully demonstrating to press for the regularisation of our services. The police chased us away and used lathis on us wildly,” said one of the demonstrators.

The Congress condemned the lathicharge, saying the police action was “uncalled for”. Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ajay Rai, who was present at the spot, said: “The employees were demonstrating under their democratic rights. The photojournalist was doing his work. But the police were brutal. In fact I heard one jawan saying, ‘yeh press wala hai, ise khoob maaro (he is from the press, so beat him up).’”

Earlier, the monsoon session of the Assembly session began with obituary references. Members mourned the death of Congress MLAs Simon Tigga and Shrikant Jha.

They also expressed sorrow at the death of former Bihar chief minister Abdul Ghafoor and recalled his contribution to the development of Bihar. They also mourned the death of 90 children in the Tamil Nadu school fire.

Chief minister Arjun Munda said he was saddened by the death of comedian Mehmood and those killed in the floods in Bihar and Assam.