Mumbai, Jan 4: Mumbai police on Thursday cancelled a students programme in Vile Parle which was to be attended by Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani and controversial student leader Umar Khalid. Both the leaders were accused of making controversial speeches in Bhima Koregaon, which allegedly led to the violence.
The organisers of the programme said that they were given the notice a few hours back and they would go ahead with the function. (Also read: Maharashtra Bandh Called Off; CM Fadnavis Orders Probe: 10 Facts)
“We had booked Bhaidas Hall for All India National Students’ Summit here today, but now we are being denied entry. Reason police is citing is the news doing the rounds about Umar Khalid and Jignesh Mevani for the past few days,” Sagar Bhalerao (Chhatra Bharati,VP), Organiser, told ANI.(Also read: Battle of Koregaon: What Actually Happened in 1818)
He added that they were preparing for the event for the last two days, but police only acted on Thursday.
Angry students raised slogans against the police. They alleged that police roughed them up. The students were later forcibly removed from the spot.
The Pune police registered FIRs against Mevani, Umar Khalid for allegedly making provocative speeches and creating communal disharmony. They had delivered speeches on December 31 at Elgaar Parishad in Pune which allegedly led to caste violence. A man was killed and over a dozen got injured in the violence after the event which was organised to commemorate an eighteen century battle between the British and the Marathas. The police were examining their speeches. A shutdown was called in Maharashtra which paralyzed normal life in various cities of the state including Mumbai and Aurangabad.