Angry with ‘derogatory’ FB post on Ambedkar, Dalit activists stage violent protest in Thane

Mumbai: Some localities of Thane came under tension on Saturday as dalits staged violent protests allegedly due to circulation of a derogatory image of Dr B R Ambedkar on a social networking site Facebook and other mobile phone applications.

Republican Party of India (RPI) activists led by local leaders took to streets and staged ‘road roko’ for couple of hours at Cadbury Junction blocking Eastern Express Highway that connects the city with Mumbai.

As per Thane police press release, along with some private vehicles nearly 6 more buses of Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) were damaged after angry mob pelted them with stones in the afternoon of Saturday. Police said shops and establishments in Vartak Nagar downed their shutters in protest against the ‘offending’ post.

Police said that complaint has been registered at Vartak Nagar police station under section 295(a) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of IPC and under section 66 of IT Act in connection with the FB post and its circulation on social networking sites and mobile application against unidentified persons after seeing the online images.

As news of the complaint and the post spread, Dalit community members in Shastri Nagar area attempted to disrupt traffic on the Eastern Express Highway. Reportedly the protests were intense in localities like Vartak Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Cadbury Junction.

The protesters turned violent outside Vartak Nagar and Wagle Estate police stations demanding action against culprits behind the post. Police took them under temporary custody and released after couple of hours.

Source: Two Circles Net