9 AAP members booked for rioting at SMC headquarters

Surat: Lalgate police booked nine Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members, including some councillors, for allegedly rioting at the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) headquarters. The nine include Payal Sakariya, the leader of opposition in the SMC, and four other women members of the party. Police acted after SMC chief security officer Major Jagrat Nayak filed a complaint.According to the complaint, SMC officials and the Surat collector had a meeting at 4pm on Tuesday. Around eight security guards, including three women guards, were present outside the meeting room. As Nayak was informed that opposition party leaders and councillors would protest near the meeting room, he asked Lalgate police to maintain law and order at the SMC headquarters.When the meeting was going on, the AAP members started shouting slogans. When they tried to enter the room, the security staff stopped them, after which AAP members scuffled with them and also allegedly abused them. As they stopped the guards from performing their duties, police were called by dialling 100.Soon, police reached the SMC building and tried to talk to the AAP members. However, they continued protesting and scuffled with police and security personnel.Police detained Payal Sakariya, Vipul Suhagiya, Dharmesh Bhandari, Mahesh Anghan, Rajni Vaghani, Rachna Hirpara, Kundan Kothiya, Sejal Malviya and Sobha Kevadiya and booked them for rioting, obstructing a public servant from performing their duties, unlawful assembly and voluntarily causing hurt.