A poster asks people to reach BHU to raise voice against the Modi government over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula of Hyderabad University. (Express photo)
Two Dalit youths representing Bharatiya Vidyarthi Morcha (BVM), a youth wing of Bharat Mukti Morcha, were arrested on Thursday on charges of breaching peace when they met the Varanasi district magistrate and asked for permission to raise black flags during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus on February 22.
The BVM, which is associated with All India Backward, and Minorities Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF), had called for the black flag protest over the suicide of Dalit research scholar of Hyderabad University Rohith Vemula.
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BVM national in-charge Vilas Kharat and UP working president Vijay Pratap Bharatiya met DM Rajmani Yadav at his office on Thursday morning and submitted a letter seeking permission to hold “peaceful protest” during PM’s visit for BHU’s 98th convocation. The DM immediately called the police, who arrested Vilas and Vijay under Section 151 of CrPC (apprehension of breach of peace), said Cantonment station officer Ratan Singh Yadav.
The duo were later produced before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate court and released on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each.
“Our protest is on the issue of Rohith Vemula being killed through a conspiracy hatched by two Union ministers, Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya. We wanted to give a memorandum to the PM seeking action against both,” Vilas claimed.
“SC/ST students are facing harassment on the BHU campus too. We wanted to seek action against BHU authorities because a research scholar Pokhraj Meena is facing caste atrocities there,” he added.
The BVM chief, who belongs to Maharashtra and works for the organisation from Delhi, said he was asked by the DM as to why he had come to BHU to protest. “I told him why the administration did not ask the same question when Modi came to Varanasi to contest elections even though his home state is Gujarat,” Vilas said.
The Dalit leader said BVM workers will stage a protest during the PM’s visit even though were not granted permission.
Vilas had circulated a poster on social networking site Facebook inviting massed to reach Varanasi on February 22 to show black flags to PM Modi. “A large number of youth will reach Varanasi to protest at BHU gate on Monday,” he claimed.
Varanasi district administration is on high alert since Modi had faced protest on the Rohith issue last month during convocation at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University.
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- Feb 19, 2016 at 3:16 amYou dalit are more responsible for your misfortune if you want justice unite with Muslim and declare these 30% upper cast hundu untouchable and treat them same way they are treating you for thousands of yearsReply
- Feb 19, 2016 at 4:23 amDoes India really wants to produce leftists by giving subsidies is the question India needs to find answer.Reply
- Feb 19, 2016 at 4:21 amTaking herald case to its logical conclusion will take wind out of criminal sail and solve lots of these problems in coming days.Reply
- Feb 19, 2016 at 4:14 amThis vote bank cl have skewed view of democracy and democratic rights! Where they are getting this education? Borrowing ideas from Kim Jong Un of North Korea?Reply
- Feb 19, 2016 at 4:17 am(The DM immediately called the police, who arrested Vilas and Vijay under Section 151 of CrPC (apprehension of breach of peace), said Cantonment station officer Ratan Singh Yadav.) Good move. Better to root them out before they end working for ISIS offshoot branch. Terrorists always use democracy as cover to get foothold before they get things going as per their liking.Reply
- Feb 19, 2016 at 4:10 amThere has to be enough of mocking by this mob. Modi really need to think about ways to give them some job worthy skill so they find better things in life to keep themselves busy with. No point enjoying freebies and protesting - get their a s s e s moving and working! What about creating a Dalit Skill Bank where employer will give extra preference to draw from this skill bank? That will be better than having Dalit Vote Bank who mostly end up singing Pak song after enjoying freebies all their life!Reply
- Feb 18, 2016 at 11:17 pmWhy were they arrested even when they asked permission? Does it mean protest is banned? Or does the brahmanvadi dictator not like being questionned?Reply
- Feb 19, 2016 at 3:21 pmGood move . Arrest all those who protest against BJP Govt and poor modijee. We must not tolerate any criticism of our dear PM who is working hard 19 hours a day trying to transform the nation.Reply
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