MP Water sprayed to disperse Cong workers protesting against Kangana

    (Eds: Updating)
Betul (MP), Feb 12 (PTI) Police in Madhya Pradesh's
Betul district on Friday evening sprayedwater on Congress
workers who were protesting against Bollywood actor Kangana
Ranaut near a venue where she is shooting for a film.
    Police had deployed heavy security in Sarni area after
local Congress leaders threatened two days ago that they would
not allow Ranaut to shoot if she did not apologize, by Friday
evening, over her tweets against the farmers protesting at
Delhi borders.
    Over 100 protesters gathered near gate numbers 2 and 4
of the coal handling plant of a power station, near where the
shooting of the film "Dhaakad" is going on, on Friday evening.
    Protesters were dispersed by using water jets from
fire brigade vehicles, said Sarni City Superintendent of
Police Abhay Ram Choudhary.
    Ranaut usually comes for shooting around 6 pm but on
Friday she was scheduled to appear late in the evening and
was not present when the protesters thronged the spot.
    Choudhary denied local Congress unit's allegation that
batons were used against protesters, including women.
    On Thursday, Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said he
had asked police to ensure that the shooting was not
disrupted.
    Police personnel carrying batons and even firearms
were deployed around the site, while an inspector was assigned
to oversee Ranaut's safety at a resort 45 km away where she is
staying, the official said.
    Ranaut's shoot is to end on February 17, he added.
    State Congress Sewa Dal secretary Manoj Arya and
Chicholi Block Congress Committee president Nekram Yadav had
on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to a tehsildar in Betul.
    They had threatened that they would not allow Ranaut
to shoot at Sarni if she did not apologize by Friday evening
over her comments against the ongoing farmers' protest on
Delhi borders.
    The Congress leaders alleged that Ranaut had maligned
farmers who are protesting against the Centre's new agri laws.
    Twitter had deleted some of Ranaut's controversial
tweets on the ongoing protests.
    On Thursday, home minister Mishra had said the BJP
government in the state will ensure that "behan-beti"
(sister-daughter) Kangana" faced no problem while shooting.
PTI COR LAL NP
KRK KRK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)