Police in riot gear has been deployed in some pockets of Mumbai
Mumbai/Pune: More than 100 people were detained in Mumbai today as Dalit protesters blocked major Mumbai roads, disrupted local train services at rush hour and forced shops to close over the caste clashes yesterday near Pune, in which a man was killed. Riot police had to be called in today as the protesters threw stones and damaged a bus. One protester tried to set himself on fire and was saved just on time, the police said. Dalit groups have called for a Mumbai bandh tomorrow.
Here are the top 10 updates in this big story:
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has appealed for peace, saying Maharashtra is a progressive state which does not believe in casteist violence. He also warned that strict action will be taken against those who use social media to spread rumours. Announcing the inquiry into Monday's violence, Mr Fadnavis said it will be headed by a sitting judge.
- Shops and business establishments were shut and a journalist of NDTV was attacked as groups of youths from Chembur, Vikhroli, Mankhurd and Govandi joined the protest, the police said.
- Traffic came to a standstill this morning at the Eastern Express Highway in Mumbai and re-opened post-noon. The Central Railway suspended suburban services between Kurla and Vashi on its harbor corridor and is running special services between CSMT-Kurla and Vashi-Panvel section.
- The police, who said they detained 100 people following the protests, denied reports of prohibitory orders banning large gatherings in Chembur or any other part of the city.
- In a tweet, the police said there was "no reason to panic" and one should "verify facts with police officers" before posting anything on social media.
- Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of BR Ambedkar, the architect of India's constitution, has called for a strike in Mumbai tomorrow
- Congress chief Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS, tweeting: "A central pillar of the RSS/BJP's fascist vision for India is that Dalits should remain at the bottom of Indian society. Una, Rohith Vemula and now Bhima-Koregaon are potent symbols of the resistance."
- On Monday afternoon, groups of Dalits, who were on way to an event near Pune city to mark 200 years of the Bhima Koregaon battle, were attacked and their vehicles were damaged.
- The violence, which started after an argument and stone-throwing, soon spun out of control. A man died, 40 vehicles were damaged and less than half-a-dozen people were injured. The police said the deceased man belonged to an upper caste.
- Dalits observe January 1 as "Vijay Diwas" to commemorate the battle fought in 1818, in which a Battalion of British East India Company comprising Dalits had defeated so-called upper-caste Peshwa soldiers.
