Varanasi violence: Congress MLA Ajay Rai sent to Fatehgarh jail

Varanasi district administration has sent Congress MLA Ajay Rai to Fatehgarh jail in Farrukhabad District of Uttar Pradesh, who was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the violence in the city during Anyay Pratikar Yatra.

Following Rai's arrest, the Congress party workers had earlier tried to block roads in some areas yesterday.

Congress' communication department chairman, Satyadev Tripathi alleged that the ruling Samajwadi Party government was harassing Congress leaders in Varanasi and that raids were being conducted at the houses of party leaders. He has demanded judicial inquiry into this violence so that the truth can come out and real culprits could be caught.

He said members of BJP, VHP and Hindu Yuva Vahini, who had instigated the violence, have not been named so far.

Over a dozen vehicles, including police jeeps and a few shops, were torched while several policemen and protesters sustained injuries as they clashed during the Anyay Pratikar Yatra organised by sadhus in Varanasi district's Godaulia area.

The protest was against the September 22 batoncharge on Sadhus and their supporters, when they were taking out a procession for Lord Ganesha's idol immersion in the Ganga.