New Delhi: Violence, arson and lawlessness ruled the state on Monday during the Bharat bandh called by the SC-ST communities against the Supreme Court ruling. Protesters set police stations on fire, torched and smashed vehicles, looted shops, pelted stones and blocked highways and attacked the police across the country.
Bharat Bandh on Monday turned violent as 9 people were killed and over hundreds were injured in an unprecedented protests across India. A host of Dalit groups were holding strike to protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Rail-tracks were blocked, vehicular traffic movement was hit, police station was set on fire and public and private properties were damaged across 10 states. Internet services continued to remain suspended in certain areas.
Protesters damaged public property and set vehicles on fire resulting in widespread clashes with police in the districts of Alwar, Barmer, Jodhpur, Sanchore Hindon City, Sawai Madhopur, Sriganganagar, Falodi Dausa, Pali, Dungarput, Kota, Dhaulpur and Bharatpur.
Police opened fire in Alwar that killed person, while another sustained serious injuries. Police had to resort to firing rubber bullets and tear gas shells. The clashes left over 100 injured, including around 50 policemen.
Section 144 was imposed in 25 cities including Alwar, Barmer, Jodhpur, Sanchore, Bharatpur, Phalodi, Neem Ka Thana, Sikar, Barmer, Nagaur and Dungarpur. Internet services have been suspended in Bikaner, Shriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu, Jalore, Jaisalmer, Sirohi, Pali, Barmer, Alwar, Sikar and Bharatpur till Tuesday.
One person was killed in police firing in Alwar after police had to resort to firing when the protesters pelted stones and set the Khairthal thana on fire. The deceased Pawan Kumar, 28, a resident of Jhadoli was killed when a bullet hit him in the head. Two others including 27 year old Sher Singh and Suresh sustained injuries. The protesters set on fire police vehicles and motorcycles. Protesters stopped the Jaipur-Delhi double-decker train and pelted stones on it at Khairthal station in Alwar. They damaged railway tracks at Daupur, pelted stones and set on fire police stations at Neb and Khairthal.
The protesters damaged motorcycles and burnt two vehicles. The police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protesters. Section 144 has been imposed.
Thousands of protesters, including women, took out protest rallies in Bharatpur. The protesters were armed with sticks and forcibly got shops closed. They ransacked a local snackshop and inflicted burn injuries to the shopkeeper when scalding oil spill on him during the altercation. The shopkeeper has been admitted to hospital with burn injuries.
Protesters staged rallies on motorcycles and attempted to ransack the railway station at Bhilwara. They were chased out by the police. Markets remained closed as the rally passed through them.
The Bharat bandh had impact on all the district s including Sikar, Jalore, Bikaner, Ajmer, Nagaur, Karauli, Udaipur and Sriganganagar.
One person was killed in police firing in Alwar after police had to resort to firing when the protesters pelted stones and set the Khairthal thana on fire.
Section 144 was imposed in 25 cities including Alwar, Barmer, Jodhpur, Sanchore, Bharatpur, Phalodi, Neem Ka Thana, Sikar, Barmer, Nagaur and Dungarpur.
Internet services have been suspended in Bikaner, Shriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu,Jalore, Jaisalmer, Sirohi, Pali, Barmer, Alwar, Sikar and Bharatpur till Tuesday.
Here are top highlights of Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups1. Out of nine, six persons were killed in Madhya Pradesh. Two persons died in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. Thousands, including a BSP MLA, were detained and arrested after incidents of vandalism and arson came to the fore.
2. BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh was the worst hit among the states. Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar rejected that the casualties took place due to police firing. He said that people were killed during fights between the pro and anti bandh supporters.
3. It has been learnt that a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and a police official were also injured in the protest in Gwalior-Chambal division. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the protesters to maintain peace in the state.
4. 800 anti-riot policemen were deployed by Union Ministry in MP and UP to check untoward incidents. Curfew was imposed in several services in these two states. Internet services still remain suspended.
5. In Uttar Pradesh, one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and another in Meerut, while nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police has detained nearly 450 people there. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had assured that both central and state governments were working for Dalits, SC, ST.
6. In another BJP ruled state Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others injured. Nine policemen were also received injuries.
7. Delhi, Punjab, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Odisha and Maharashtra also witnessed violent protests. The movement of over 100 trains getting affected due to protests.
8. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect ‘honest’ public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The central government yesterday had filed a review petition.
9. Political slugfest over the issue has been erupted as Congress president Rahul Gandhi has lashed out at BJP while senior central ministers have hit back. Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision.
10. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA constituent LJP, appreciated the government’s quick decision.
11. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that incidents of atrocities on Dalits and minorities have increased in the country since the NDA came to power in 2014, while AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended his support to the protesting groups. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her support for the Dalit cause.
