The Mussoorie Police arrested four persons representing traditional folk artistes for creating a ruckus here today.
Those arrested were raising slogans against the district administration and the Winterline Carnival Committee, which is organising the carnival from December 24 to 30. The protesters alleged that local artistes were being neglected and denied participation in the name of paucity of funds while Bollywood artistes were being invited at exorbitant costs.
Around 25 persons from various traditional artist associations gathered at Picture Palace and raised slogans against the district association, the carnival committee and the police administration. They even tried to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Harish Rawat but the police stopped them from doing so.
Four persons, namely Pradeep Bhandari, a cultural activist, Jitendar Panwar, a folk singer, Bhagwan Singh Chauhan, a social activist, and Vaisakh Singh, were arrested by the police under Sections 151,107,116 for disruption of peace.
Local Police station in charge Kamlesh Namboori said since the protesters had not taken permission for the procession from the administration, the police had to arrest them.
The people arrested are in custody at Police Lines.
Meanwhile, the Mussoorie BJP unit flayed the police action. BJP president Mohan Petwal said the district administration, at the behest of few individuals, who were anti-traditional culture, was acting with a dictatorial attitude, which is unfortunate.
The district administration should hear the suggestions being given by the local artistes. Also, the Winterline Carnival Committee should be expanded as it was in the hands of a few individuals. The committee members had only one motive, to sit near senior bureaucrats in meetings and not promoting tourism, Petwal added.
Dehradun DM Ravinath Raman said the local artistes were being given due importance and the Culture Department had been assigned the task to look after the performing artistes during the carnival.
Those arrested were raising slogans against the district administration and the Winterline Carnival Committee, which is organising the carnival from December 24 to 30. The protesters alleged that local artistes were being neglected and denied participation in the name of paucity of funds while Bollywood artistes were being invited at exorbitant costs.
Around 25 persons from various traditional artist associations gathered at Picture Palace and raised slogans against the district association, the carnival committee and the police administration. They even tried to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Harish Rawat but the police stopped them from doing so.
Four persons, namely Pradeep Bhandari, a cultural activist, Jitendar Panwar, a folk singer, Bhagwan Singh Chauhan, a social activist, and Vaisakh Singh, were arrested by the police under Sections 151,107,116 for disruption of peace.
Local Police station in charge Kamlesh Namboori said since the protesters had not taken permission for the procession from the administration, the police had to arrest them.
The people arrested are in custody at Police Lines.
Meanwhile, the Mussoorie BJP unit flayed the police action. BJP president Mohan Petwal said the district administration, at the behest of few individuals, who were anti-traditional culture, was acting with a dictatorial attitude, which is unfortunate.
The district administration should hear the suggestions being given by the local artistes. Also, the Winterline Carnival Committee should be expanded as it was in the hands of a few individuals. The committee members had only one motive, to sit near senior bureaucrats in meetings and not promoting tourism, Petwal added.
Dehradun DM Ravinath Raman said the local artistes were being given due importance and the Culture Department had been assigned the task to look after the performing artistes during the carnival.
