Bharat Bandh: Over 400 including ex-BSP MLA arrested, 100 vehicles set ablaze in UP

Bharat Bandh protests turned violent in different parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday. About 40 persons, including over a dozen police personnel were injured in clashes. Five persons, including four Dalit young men, sustained bullet injuries in firing between agitated mob and police in Meerut and Hapur districts. 

Besides two police outposts, over 100 buses, private vehicles, two-wheelers were torched by the agitated mob. About 448 trouble-makers, including a former BSP MLA, were arrested in connection with the violence during Bharat Bandh.

A shopkeeper was shot at in Hapur district when he refused to down the shutter. Police had to open fire to disperse a mob of Dalit youth firing indiscriminately on streets in Meerut district. The mob also damaged the official vehicle of the SSP and District Magistrate after setting Shobhapur police outpost on fire in Kankarkheda area in the district.

Both the BSP and the Samajwadi Party workers actively participated along with dalit youth in violent clashes, arson and damage to the government and private property. The Meerut Police arrested a former BSP MLA Yogesh Verma along with his supporters for inciting violence. The Meerut SSP Manjil Saini said that provisions of National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against the arrested BSP MLA and his supporters.

Districts falling under Western Uttar Pradeshh region were the worst affected.  “The way violence erupted in districts of Western Uttar Pradesh, it looked all pre-planned,” pointed Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary Home.

Agitated demonstrators also torched and damaged over two dozen buses, private vehicles in other places in Meerut. The mob also attacked the district court campus setting several chambers of lawyers and their vehicles on fire.

They were later chased away by lawyers and litigants. On seeing situation getting out of control, the police later resorted to lathicharge dragging trouble-makers from their homes to put them behind bars.

Police had to fire in the air to disperse a mob which attacked police personnel and media persons in Agra. About half a dozen police men and media persons, covering the bandh, were injured in heavy brick-batting. Demonstrators also ransacked hotel of a BJP leader in Agra. The mob also made an attempt to set ablaze a petrol pump in Agra.

All roads leading to word famous Taj Mahal were sealed and an advisory was issued to foreign tourists to remain indoors and call Dial 100 for immediate help if they feel any threat from demonstrators.

In Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s hometown Gorakhpur, lathi-wielding Dalit youth forced closure of markets and offices. Police remained a mute spectator to followers of father of Constitution unleashing a reign of terror on streets in Gorakhpur and districts of Western Uttar Pradesh.

At several places demonstrators put up road blocks on state and national highways to put vehicular traffic out of gear. Several trains were delayed due to the violent protest. Similar reports trickled in from Saharanpur, Hathras, Shamli, Bijnore, Moradabad, Allahabad and Kanpur.

In Muzaffarnagar, a mob of Dalit youth laid siege to Railway Station disrupting railway traffic. They also attacked a police station in the district and tried to set it ablaze. Police personnel put a lock on the gates of the police station and ran away to save their lives.

The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to members of the Dalit community to maintain peace and not take law and order into their hands. “The Central government is seized of the matter and is taking measures to safeguard their interests.  They may take their grievances to the government instead of indulging in violence,” advised the Chief Minister.

The DGP OP Singh and the Principal Secretary Home Arvind Kumar have issued directions to all Police Chiefs and District Magistrates to deal firmly with those indulging in violence and arson.  However, it was a major intelligence failure on part of the Yogi Adityanath government which could not gather information in time about massive preparations made by Dalit youth to make their voices heard during Bharat Bandh.