Over 50 booked for protests against HP revenue minister

Police have booked over 50 people for wrongful restrain, unlawful assembly and rioting after the revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi had to face not just black flags but shoes were hurled at his vehicle and ‘go back’ slogans were raised by protesters who even tried to stop his vehicle in Seraj assembly constituency in Himachal’s Mandi district on Friday during his visit to the disaster hitareas.

- Shailee Dogra

As many as 15 people died while search is still on for 34 missing as cloudburst, flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc in Seraj, Nachan, Dharampur and Karsog assembly constituencies of Mandi districts on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1, Seraj was the most affected. Negi is on a three-day visit to devastation-hit areas of Mandi.

The BJP workers in Janjheli and Thunag areas of Seraj assembly constituency of former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, which suffered massive damage and losses in the recent disaster, had lodged their protest.

Negi had also faced the wrath of the people at Thunag where people tried to stop his vehicle. Videos of locals showing and throwing black flags and shoes on the minister's vehicle and trying to gherao it have gone viral on the internet.