City traders file complaint against minister Katheria

Agra: Agra police lodged a non-cognizable report (NCR) against Union minister of state for HRD Ramshankar Katheria for allegedly misbehaving and forcing some shopkeepers to down their shutters in Agra on Wednesday.
In the complaint submitted to Rakabganj police, members of Chipitola Market Association claimed that Katheria’s bodyguards thrashed two of the shopkeepers who refused to close their shops and misbehaved with many others.
Raj Kumar Jain, general secretary of Digambar Jain Parishad alleged that Katheria misbehaved with his elder brother, Umesh Chandra Jain, who was punched on his eyes and chest.
“Leaders like Katheria are blot on Narendra Modi and BJP’s identity. They don’t know how to talk to the common man. It was a wrong decision of Agra people who have voted for him. The language he used is just not suited for an MP,” added Raj Kumar Jain.
Talking to TOI, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pritindar Singh said that an NCR has been lodged against Katheria for misbehaving with traders. Police is investigating the matter.
City traders had called for Agra bandh on Wednesday to protest against deteriorating law and order and rising crime. The decision was taken at a meeting held under the leadership of Agra Traders’ Association president TN Agarwal.
The businessmen were upset with the police for their failure to crack major cases of robbery and murder here, including six attacks on jewellers since April, while around a dozen other violent attacks on traders were reported from here in the past six months. The traders also called the bandh after the brutal lathicharge of the police conducted on BJP partymen and mediapersons during a dharna at the IG’s office on Monday.
Katheria’s spokesperson Sharad Chauhan said the traders have given in writing that there was no argument with the minister to the police and said that a compromise in the matter has already been reached.