‘Revoke NSA against Chandra Shekhar’: Tight security in Saharanpur as Bheem Army plans dharna

Heavy police force has been deployed in Saharanpur district for a dharna planned by the Bheem Army on Thursday to protest invoking of the National Security Act (NSA) against their chief Chandra Shekhar last week. The workers have been directed to gather at tehsils and outside the commissioner’s office on Thursday and demand that the charge be revoked.

Sources said the police are keeping watch on the movements of Bheem Army workers as well as 11 leaders of the organisation. Members of the outfit had earlier indulged in violence and arson in Saharanpur in May, while retaliating to an alleged attack on Dalits in a village by the Thakur community. Chandra Shekhar and other leaders of the Bheem Army are booked in cases related to the same violence.

SSP, Saharanpur, Babloo Kumar said police teams from neighbouring districts have arrived in Saharanpur and heavy security has been deployed in sensitive parts of the city to maintain peace. Two additional superintendents of police (ASPs), eight Dy SPs, 40 sub-inspectors, 200 constables and PAC personnel have been engaged to strengthen the security arrangement, the SSP said.

Sub-divisional magistrate Ram Vilas, Deoband area, said Bheem Army workers had held a protest at his office on Tuesday and submitted their memorandum demanding that the NSA against their chief be revoked.

“People are angry over NSA being invoked on Chandra Shekhar. Initially, we had decided to hold a mahapanchayat and hunger strike at Ravi Das hostel in Janakpuri area on Thursday. We had even communicated this to the supporters through social media and all preparations were made,” said Bheem Army’s Saharanpur district pracharak, Tinku Kapil.

On Tuesday, they met Chandra Shekhar in court, where he had come to attend a case hearing, said Kapil. “Chandra Shekhar asked us to cancel the mahapanchayat and hunger strike as the model code of conduct for local body polls has come into force. Later, we decided to stage protest at tehsils and outside the office of Saharanpur commissioner. We will return after handing over the memorandum to the officials,” he added.

Bheem Army’s Saharanpur district president, Praveen Gautam, said, “We want NSA against our leader to be revoked because police have falsely framed him in criminal cases. We will be submitting a memorandum to the Saharanpur commissioner and other officials tomorrow (Thursday) requesting to withdraw the decision.”

On May 5 this year, a Thakur man was allegedly killed and 25 Dalit homes set ablaze in clashes after Dalits in the village allegedly objected to loud music being played by a Thakur procession on its way to a function in honour of Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap. The district remained tense ever since and incidents of violence erupted repeatedly.

The district administration invoked the NSA against six accused, including three each from the Thakur and Dalit communities, said Additional Superintendent of Police, City, Prabhal Pratap Singh.

Superintendent of Saharanpur district jail Viresh Raj Sharma said, “On Tuesday, Chandra Shekhar complained of stomach pain after which he was sent to Meerut hospital. He was taken to Meerut for a CT scan as it was not available at the district hospital in Saharanpur.”