Mumbai: Many cities in Maharashtra witnessed social tension on Tuesday as Dalit groups took to the streets in reaction to the riots that happened in Koregaon-Bhima on Monday.
Transport in parts of Mumbai came to a grinding halt as suburban railways and eastern express highway of Mumbai was blocked for many hours by protesting groups. Sporadic incidents of stone pelting and arson were reported in many parts of the state. However the situation returned to normal by late evening.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while speaking with media in Mumbai on Tuesday, announced a judicial probe into the Koregaon incident and said the State government will give Rs 10 lakh to the family of the person who was killed in the violence there. NCP Chief Sharad Pawar alleged that the State government and the police force had not handled the situation at Koregaon-Bhima properly and there was a need to find out who was behind this violence.
In Mumbai, the protesters blocked roads in several areas, forced shops to shut down and also attacked a journalist of a television news channel. The Central railway suspended suburban services between Kurla and Vashi on its harbour corridor and is running special services between CSMT-Kurla and Vashi-Panvel section. An announcement regarding the same is being made at all stations of the central railway.
Protests came out on the roads at Ghatkopar, Chembur, Powai, Mulund and Thane.
Call for shut down
Mumbai (PTI): Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader Prakash Ambedkar has called for Maharashtra bandh on Wednesday to protest against the State government’s “failure” to stop the violence at Koregaon-Bhima village in Pune district on Monday. He alleged that Hindu Ekta Aghadi was responsible for the violence. He said Maharashtra Democratic Front, Maharashtra Left Front, besides 250 organisations, have supported the shutdown. Ambedkar, the grandson of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, has appealed for peace during the bandh period.tomorrow’s shutdown.Ambedkar, the grandson of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, has appealed for peace during the bandh period.
Activists from the Republican Party of India (RPI)and their followers stepped out in large numbers to object to the death of the person, who succumbed to head injuries on Monday.
Several schools and colleges in Mumbai have been closed with protests intensifying in the city. Over 100 people were detained in Mumbai in the wake of violent protests. Due to the protest there were traffic jams on Eastern Express Highway (at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Cheda Nagar and Kamraj Nagar). In the morning, the protesters gathered near the Priyadarshini at Chunabhatti, Kurla, Sidharth Colony and Amar Mahal areas on the Eastern Express Highway, took out processions and raised slogans against the government and the administration, he said.
Local train services were affected due to the protest. The protesters staged a rasta roko at Govandi station on the Harbour Line between Chembur and Govandi following protests.
Meanwhile, Prakash Ambedkar, former MP and grandson of Bhimrao Ambedkar, has called for a Mumbai bandh on Wednesday to protest against the Bhima-Koregaon violence. Mumbai police tweeted an advisory on the protests. “Don’t believe in rumours. Traffic on Eastern Expressway was affected due to protests. It’s moving now. Traffic at Chembur Naka is still affected. There is nothing to panic. Verify facts with police officers and men before posting anything on social media,” the tweet read.
Angered over the death of a person at the event organised to mark the anniversary in Pune on Monday, several groups of people had come out in protest on Tuesday in the eastern suburbs of Chembur, Vikhroli, Mankhurd and Govandi, and forced shops and establishments to shut down, an official said. A news channel journalist was attacked by a group of protesters in the Amar Mahal area. However, he escaped unhurt, witnesses said. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Priyadarshini, Kurla, Sidharth Colony and Amar Mahal areas on the Eastern Express Highway, took out processions and raised slogans against the government and the administration, he said.
Prakash Ambedkar, a former Member of Parliament and grandson of Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar, has called for a Mumbai bandh on Wednesday to protest against the violence that took place at Bhima-Koregaon.
