Govt foils Dalit protest plan
The collective might of the state proved too powerful for Dalit organisations and Republican parties in Nagpur on Monday when their plan to organise a protest rally was foiled by the government.
By TNN |
MUMBAI: The collective might of the state proved too powerful for Dalit organisations and Republican parties in Nagpur on Monday when their plan to organise a protest rally was foiled by the government.
The parties and several Dalit organisations had called the rally to protest against the killing of four members of a Dalit family at Khairlanji in Vidarbha in September and the alleged desecration of BR Ambedkar’s statue at Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The CPI (M) had also thrown its weight behind the protest.
The government had denied permission to hold the rally in view of the winter session of the state legislature, beginning on Monday in Nagpur, too. A volatile law and order situation was also factored in by the government to refuse permission. Since the rally was already declared unlawful, the government had banned Dalit leaders from entering Nagpur.
RPI leader and MP, Ramdas Athavale was detained by the police on his arrival at the airport. Other Dalit leaders and politicians like D Raja of the CPM, Prakash Ambedkar and Sulekha Kumbhare faced similar police action. The protest rally was earlier planned on some other day during the session, according to the police and intelligence information.
“Detention of these leaders might be extended till the full duration of the winter session since there is a potential possibility of them deciding to hold the rally soon after their release,” an official said.
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Nagpur wore a look of an Army base as the state geared up to defuse the situation. In the Assembly, the Khairlanji killings triggered noisy scenes with the Opposition demanding an adjournment to discuss the issue. Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar, however, rejected the motion, thus sparking off acrimonious protests.Download
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