New Delhi: Around 50,000 people gathered at Jantar Mantar on Sunday to protest alleged anti-Dalit violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur. A journalist on Twitter though claimed the protesters’ strength to be around 50,000 but the number could not be independently verified.
Videos posted on social media showed the protesters chanting slogans and getting their sacred wrist threads snipped as a form of protest. The protest was called by an organisation known as the Bhim Army.
The protesters have put forth three demands: A judicial probe into the violence May 5 violence; compensation for the Dalits whose homes were torched in the clashes; action against Thakurs involved in the rally commemorating Maharana Pratap and the violence that ensued on May 5.
The Saharanpur issue has taken on a political angle in recent days with Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday slamming the Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradesh government, which she said has failed to ensure peace.
The city of Saharanpur has seen simmering tensions ever since the May 5 clashes between members of the Dalit community and Thakurs.
The clashes erupted after some Dalit residents in Shabbirpur raised objections over a Thakur procession that was playing loud music.
Things took a turn for the worse when the district administration refused to allow the Dalits permission to hold a ‘mahapanchayat’ on May 9. The gathering was called to demand compensation and relief for those affected in the May 5 clash.
However, the refusal to grant permission sparked a round of protests by the Dalits, who clashed with policemen.
The police has registered cases in the matter, allegations have been raised that Thakurs as well as Dalits have been falsely charged.
The May 5 clashes followed a different clash in Saharanpur in April, over an Ambedkar Jayanti rally. BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma was among those ultimately booked for that incident.
