Chaos at Smriti Irani's meet, attack on woman NCP worker on cam; 3 BJP cadre booked

The Pune police have registered a FIR against three BJP workers for allegedly assaulting an NCP woman member in an auditorium here during a face-off between the two sides at a book release event attended by Union minister Smriti Irani, an official said on Tuesday.

The incident had taken place on Monday when workers of the Congress and NCP, which share power with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, staged protests against price rise outside a luxury hotel and the Bal Gandharva auditorium, where Irani attended events during her visit to Pune city.

"An offence was registered on late Monday night. We have booked three BJP workers under Indian Penal Code Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant sections," Deccan Gymkhana police station's senior inspector Murlidhar Karpe said.

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As per the FIR, the woman NCP functionary and three other party members had gone to the auditorium to give a memorandum to Irani over the rising inflation and LPG price hike issue.

The NCP woman member in her police complaint later alleged that she and other party functionaries were assaulted and heckled by BJP workers.

Following the face-off, a video showed the police present at the venue escorting four NCP women members out of the auditorium.