Jaipur, Jul 10 (IANS): The workers of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) were lathicharged by the police on Friday after they went to a college in Jaipur to stage a dharna against the alleged atrocities on SC/ST communities under the Congress rule.

As they went to submit a memorandum to the collector, they were stopped by the police, which led to a verbal duel. The BJYM supporters were then lathicharged by the police, leading to tensed situation as many workers sustained injuries.

State BJP chief Satish Poonia later went to the SMS Hospital to inquire about the health of the injured persons.

"I strongly criticise the lathicharge by the police on BJYM workers who made a peaceful start to protest against the atrocities of the Congress government on the Dalits of the state. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot keeps talking about democracy, but the failure of the state government has been proven by the increasing number of criminal cases against the Dalits," he said.

National spokesperson of the BJP, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, also termed the lathicharge on BJYM workers as ‘murder of democracy'.

"The rising cases of rape in the state do not invite police attention, but a non-violent protest invokes such harsh reaction," he said.