THE Himachal Pradesh State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in a press statement issued on March 19 has strongly condemned the brutal lathicharge on the protesting students at Vidhan Sabha chowk, which was followed by an attack on CPI(M) office which was ransacked and the leadership of the Party was mercilessly beaten up. The leaders were dragged and given harsh beating inside the office and were taken to Boileauganj police station. Even there they were not spared and each one of them was separately beaten up in a room while the lights were switched off. Such an attack proves the violation of democratic norms and sheer despotic administration under the Virbhadra Singh led Congress government. It is hard to believe that the police who was armed with all forms of anti-riot equipments was not just scaring the unprovoked students protest but was mercilessly beating them up, chasing them as if they were fighting the battle on war front. Even girl students were not spared and were badly beaten up, outraging their modesty. The CPI(M) has asked for a judicial probe by sitting judge of the High Court into the whole incident, especially on the attack on the state headquarters of the CPI(M), where the main door was broken, the furniture was smashed and the office staff including 62 years old, heart patient Ramakant Mishra (treasurer-cum-office secretary) was ruthlessly beaten up. Similarly Sivadasan, all India president of the SFI too was dragged out and given severe beating. Such an attack on a political party office did not even happen in emergency days, and this shows the intolerance and undemocratic behavior of Virbhadra Singh led Congress government towards any voice of dissent. The party has already given an application at Boileauganj police station to register an FIR against the police officials who entered the CPI(M) office who include Ram Lal Bansal, DSP Shimla, Biri Singh, Inspector and Shiv Kumar, ASI. Not satisfied with this, the police took all the leaders to Boileauganj police station where they were badly beaten up and even medical treatment was denied to them. The Congress government has shown this kind of attitude towards democratic protest over a long period of time. The people of the state are not going to tolerate a government that does not respect democratic norms in its functioning and will stand up against this authoritarian government. In this regard, militant protests by the Party were held throughout the state on March 19.