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Bhima Koregaon violence: Dalits fear police may target them, pick them up randomly

Pradhan was only trying to protest what happened in Pune and was targeted by the police and put behind bars, says Vaibhav Chhaya

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A few hours after the Nanded police arrested Rahul Pradhan, Dalit activist, for peacefully protesting against the violence at Bhima Koregaon, fear has gripped the community across the state.

Pradhan, 33, who hails from Nanded, has been arrested on Wednesday afternoon under section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) as he was protesting the death of a young boy at Bhima Koregaon on January 01.

“Pradhan was only trying to protest what happened in Pune and was targeted by the police and put behind bars. This is a systematic attack on those who are trying to use peaceful means of protest to reclaim their rights,” said Vaibhav Chhaya, a Dalit activist.

After the detention of over a hundred people in Mumbai on Tuesday, and the arrest of Rahul, the community is now worried that they would be targeted and the whole blame of all that happened would be shifted on them. “We are worried about the police picking up people randomly from basis and localities in combing operations for no fault of theirs,” said Rewat Kaninde, a city-based doctor.

Protestors say police beat them up despite peaceful protests.

As thousands of Ambedkarites assembled to condemn the attacks on the community across Mumbai on Wednesday, many of them complained about the police beating up silent protestors without any reason. “At a protest gathering in Panjarapole near Govandi, the police randomly started heckling and beating up people who had gathered there peacefully. Some people got wounds on their hands and legs due to the beatings,” said a student from TISS who was present at the gathering.

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