Four BJP leaders suffer burns while burning effigy

Hyderabad: Four local BJP leaders, including a woman, suffered injuries while burning an effigy during a protest in Warangal against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a nine-month-old girl, police said.

The incident occurred when a BJP worker poured petrol on the already lit effigy, depicting the Telangana government, following which flames shot up, injuring four people,including the party’s Warangal Urban unit chief Rao Padma, a police official told PTI over phone.

One of them, who suffered 35 per cent burn injuries, was hospitalised, while the other three sustained minor burns, he said

A case has been registered against the BJP worker on charge of negligence, the official said.

The BJP leaders and party workers staged the protest, demanding that the accused be arrested and hanged.

The nine-month-old girl died after a 28-year-old man apparently gagged her, resulting in her death while allegedly sexually assaulting her Wednesday last in Warangal, triggering protests by locals, who demanded stern punishment to the accused.