Thousands of members and supporters of the Bhim Army gathered at Jantar Mantar on Sunday demanding the release of their leader Chandrasekhar Azad.
Azad's mother, Kamlesh Devi, addressed an ocean of crowd wearing blue 'Jai Bhim' caps, and said that her son had been targeted for voicing the atrocities against Dalits in UP.
"I am proud of my son and all my other sons who do not hesitate in even laying their lives for the cause of Dalits. For ages, the upper caste zamindaars have trampled us under their feet. It is time to rise up," she said, amidst cheer.
Chandrashekhar was arrested by Uttar Pradesh's Special Task Force (STF) and Special Investigative Team (SIT) at Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie on the morning of June 8.
The organisers said that he has been falsely implicated in over 47 cases across various police stations.
Cries of 'Jai Bhim' spread across Jantar Mantar as several smaller organisations such as Dalit Sangarsh Morcha, Yuva Shakti Dal and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan joined the movement from various parts of western UP, Punjab and Delhi.
The protest had started after the recent violence involving Dalits and Thakurs in Saharanpur during the birth anniversary celebrations of Maharana Pratap.
The skirmish took place on May 5, when a mob, allegedly from the Thakur community, ransacked and burned down 25 houses belonging to Dalits, and injured 15 members of the community in Saharanpur.
Thirty eight-year-old Sheetal from Shimlana said that she and her family had come to support Kamlesh Devi because atrocities against Dalit, especially women has become a routine in parts of UP.
"They do not allow our children to get educated so that they do not raise their voices against them. The ones who have protested have been beaten or locked up," she said.
Yuva Shakti Dal leader Ravi Gautam said that if the government does not free Chandrasekhar they will camp at Jantar Mantar and will resort to violence.
"We will not guarantee what will happen if our leader is not let off," he warned.