One person was killed and 35 others injured in violence during the day-long Bharat Bandh protest by Dalit groups over the Apex Court’s order on SC/ST Act. DIG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar on Monday evening confirmed the death of one person in the violence and injury to 35 others. He said that three persons also sustained critical injuries.
Addressing the media in Lucknow, Kumar said that 448 people were detained in the state for engaging in violence and arson. “Only 10 per cent of the state was disrupted due to the Bandh while 90 per cent area remained peaceful. The government will also probe and identify people spreading rumours through social media,” he added.
As per reports, protests were marked by violence particularly in western Uttar Pradesh where agitated mobs torched several vehicles, fought pitched battle with the police, stoned shops and even burnt a police outpost in Meerut on Monday. The causality was reported from Muzaffarnagar district. The Bandh, which commenced on a peaceful note in the morning, turned violent as the day passed and reports of violence and arson were reported from Ghaziabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Azamgarh, Hapur and Agra. Former BSP MLA from Hastinapur (Meerut) Yogesh Verma was
also arrested by the police for instigating violence. He is the husband of Meerut Mayor Sunita Verma. Some foreigners, who were travelling on a tourist bus from Kathmandu, had a narrow escape when protesters targeted their bus and pelted stones at Sigri area of Azamgarh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people to maintain peace and not to take law in their hands. Yogi said in a statement, “The Central and state governments are dedicated towards the welfare of backward castes, SCs & STs. I appeal to all to not disturb the law and order. If at all there are any issues you can bring them to the government’s notice.” The state government also issued a high alert in all districts in view of the Bandh. In a directive to all district officials, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar asked them to control the situation with an iron fist. Kumar told media persons in Lucknow on Monday that the situation in trouble-torn areas were tense but under control. He said that it seemed prima facie, that the series of incidents were pre-planned by anti-social elements to create disturbances during protests. “We will ensure strict action against the culprits,” he said. DGP OP Singh said in Lucknow that the police has been put on high alert while district police chiefs have been asked to go to the field to monitor the situation personally. Chairman of Schedule Caste Commission and Agra MP Ramshanker Katheria appealed to the Dalit community to maintain peace. “The Centre was serious on the SC / ST issue and hence filed a review petition in the SC,” he said. In Meerut, members of Dalit community took to the streets with lathis and tried to close down the market leading to clashes with traders. Later, the protesters torched several vehicles, including government buses in Kankerkhera area and burnt Shobhapur police outpost. The protesters also attacked the police and media persons covering the event. Later, the protesters blocked the Delhi-Haridwar highway while several hundred Dalits sat on the tracks on Delhi-Meerut route. The mob also went inside the DM office forcing employees to flee. SSP, Meerut, Manzil Saini said that more than 200 people were detained and authorities were getting cases registered against them. “All conspirators and hooligans involved in anti-social activities will be booked under NSA and there has been no casualties. BSP MLA Yogesh Verma was the main conspirator in Meerut and we have detained him,” she said.
In Muzaffarnagar, a person identified as Ambrish of Bhopa police station area was killed in firing while another person was critically injured. The protesters attacked the local police and even media persons were targeted. The motorcycle of a journalist of a Hindi daily was torched while cameras of several lensmen were broken. The mob ransacked several shops and pelted stones on running buses and trains in Muzaffarnagar.
Meanwhile in Saharanpur, protesters blocked Delhi-Yamunotri highway and also pelted stones at the police leading to a lathicharge. A few buses were damaged in stone pelting.
In some places, agitators beat up common people and looted their valuables while some even misbehaved with women. Dalits are agitated over a Supreme Court ruling of March 21 in which the arrest of the accused under the SC/ST Act was stayed until preliminary enquiry. In Agra, rail services between Delhi and Jhansi were disrupted due to squatting on tracks by Dalit agitators. The Delhi-Jaipur rail route too was disrupted by protesters. Some miscreants pelted stones at a hotel near Dhakran crossing while another hotel owned by a BJP leader was attacked. In Hapur, a mob torched several vehicles and ransacked a petrol pump. A fire brigade vehicle was also attacked. Elsewhere at Ferozabad, clashes took placed in Pachokhara locality when some Dalits tried to force traders to down their shutters. The lathi-wielding protesters chased people trying to oppose them.
In Aligarh, Dalits took out a massive rally but did not force closure of markets. Another section of Dalits also brought out a silent procession to register their protest. A report from Moradabad said violent demonstration was witnessed at Kanth road while the city was reeling under traffic jam due to the protests. Train services on Lucknow -Delhi route was paralysed for more than four hours. In Chandausi, clashes took place between Dalits and traders over forceful closure of markets. In eastern UP, incidents of road and rail blockade were reported from Allahabad, Mirzapur, Mau, Azamgarh, Ambedkarnagar and Gorakhpur. In Azamgarh, protesters torched a couple of buses and blocked the highways.