By PTI
CHANDIGARH: The road leading to senior BJP leader Manish Grover’s residence in Haryana’s Rohtak was heavily barricaded by police on Tuesday after farmers threatened to gherao it over an alleged incident of misbehaviour with women protesters.
Grover denied the allegations.
The farmers, who have reached Rohtak from Hisar, are protesting near the former minister’s residence.
On Saturday, BJP’s Hansi MLA Vinod Bhayana and Grover took part in a party event at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology in Hisar.
The farmers, including women, agitating against the Centre’s farm laws, were holding a protest outside the university gates against the BJP leaders.
The farmer leaders alleged that a person seated in the SUV in which Bhayana and Grover were travelling made obscene gestures towards the women protesters outside the university gate.
Rohtak Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma said the farmers, mainly from Hisar, have reached the district saying they want to gherao Grover’s residence.
“The area SDM and our DSP are in talks with them. They have also been told that Mr Grover has clarified his position with regard to the alleged incident. We are hopeful that they will soon disperse from the site,” he said.
Police personnel have also been deployed near Grover’s residence as part of tight security arrangements, the police said.
Grover said neither he nor anyone else in his car made obscene gestures at women protesters.
“I am a worker of the party that holds women in very high regard. I have sisters, daughters and a mother at home. I cannot even think of (doing) such a thing as is being alleged,” he said, adding that he cannot understand why such allegations are being levelled.
Giving details of the events, Grover said after Saturday’s meeting ended, he came out with Bhayana in a car.
“I, MLA Vinod Bhayana, a personal security officer and the driver were in the car. In Bhayana’s car, mine and his staff were travelling. When we came out, on the right side there was a group of protesters that was raising slogans,” he said.
“Later in the evening, Bhayana and I went to Anaj Mandi and also to another party worker’s home. Meanwhile, we saw something circulating on WhatsApp claiming that someone had made an obscene gesture (towards women farmers),” he said.
On Sunday, the farmers held a protest outside Bhayana’s Hansi residence over the incident.
However, Bhayana, while addressing the gathering of protesters outside his residence in the presence of police, said, “Neither did I make any obscene gestures nor I saw who made those gestures.”
At the same time, he expressed regret over the incident.
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