Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said Koregaon-Bhima incident is a symbol of restraint from Dalits against Bharatiya Janata Party’s alleged “facist vision for India”. “A central pillar of the RSS/BJP’s fascist vision for India is that Dalits should remain at the bottom of Indian society,” Gandhi tweeted in reference to ongoing clashes in Maharashtra and subsequent calls for Mumbai Bandh after that. “Una, Rohith Vemula and now Bhima-Koregaon are potent symbols of the resistance,” he added. The state of Maharashtra has witnessed violence in several parts following alleged tensions between two communities in a village in Pune. One person has been reportedly killed in the incident which took place on Monday. Several Dalit groups have called for a Bandh in Mumbai.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a judicial probe in the incident and a CID enquiry into the death of a youth in particular. The CM has also announced Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased.
Earlier, Press Trust of India reported that protesters blocked roads in several areas of Mumbai, 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 Line corridor and is running special services between CSMT-Kurla and Vashi-Panvel section.
The news agency said that protestors were 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 this morning 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, eyewitnesses said.Hundreds of people were seen protesting 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.
“Spoke to Maharashtra CM, demand that this matter should be inquired; action must be taken against the culprits so that such incidents don’t re-occur,” RPI chief Ramdas Athawale said. “People have been going there for last 200 years, nothing like this ever happened. It was expected that more people will be there on the 200th anniversary. More attention was needed in the matter,” said Sharad Pawar, NCP chief.