Dalit protests claim four lives; 2 trains are set on fire, 100 buses destroyed.
Dalit protests claim four lives; 2 trains are set on fire, 100 buses destroyed.
MUMBAI: Sporadic acts of violence that took place in various parts of the city throughout Thursday were brought under control by police by evening. But resentment against the desecration of a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in Kanpur remained.
Rampaging protestors set two trains on fire, damaged over 100 buses, and clashed with police in violent protests that left four persons dead and over 60 injured across the state.
Curfew was imposed in Ulhasnagar, where protestors set fire to the Deccan Queen in the afternoon, followed by a Karjat local a few hours later. There were also incidents of violence — stone pelting and destruction of public property — in places like Bhandup, Chembur, Deonar, Trombay, Shivaji Nagar, Mulund, and Kherwadi. In some places, police had to burst teargas shells to disperse the mobs.
Police and state officials said the ‘situation in the city was tense but under control’. Sources in the home department said the administration expects stray acts of violence to continue in the state, particularly in Mumbai. However, they added, “that will be controlled with effective policing.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was in Delhi and about to leave for a three-day trip to Singapore, will rush back to the city today.
Various political parties, including Republican Party of India factions, have appealed to the people to exercise restraint. The government has asked schools to remain open, and said that public transport would operate normally. Meanwhile, the Ambedkar statue in Kanpur was replaced on Thursday.
Nanded
State imposed curfew in Nanded town of Marathwada region where one person was killed during the protests against the desecration of an Ambedkar statue in Kanpur
Nashik
One person was killed in Nashik as well during protests on Wednesday night. Police have imposed curfew in the city. Protestors blocked the Nashik-Mumbai highway
Osmanabad
Two people were killed in Osmanabad in Marathwada district on Thursday when police were forced to open fire to control an unruly mob of protestors. The situation remains tense
Pune & Mumbai
Two trains were set on fire between Pune and Mumbai. The Western Express highway was blocked while curfew had to be imposed in Pimpri in Pune. Police expect normalcy in Mumbai today, with schools, govt offices and public transport functioning as normal. However, police are on alert for stray acts of violence
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