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Maharshtra burns as Dalits take to the streets
Anger over Kherlanji boils over; protests rock Maharashtra over desecration of Ambedkar statue.
BY A CORRESPONDENT
November 30, 2006
Various parts of Maharashtra witnessed widespread rioting following an alleged desecration of a B R Ambedkar statue in Kanpur. Dlists who took to the streets went on a rampage leaving one dead and several injured.
Protestors waylaid the Deccan Queen express train between Pune and Mumbai and torched nine bogies of the train. No one was injured in the incident, said reports.
Incidents of violence were reported from several parts of the state as life came to a grinding halt. One person was lynched by a mob in Nashik on Wednesday night while eight people were injured elsewhere in the state in incidents of stone-pelting on Thursday.
The protestors pelted stones on passing vehicles in the Worli area of Mumbai on Thursday morning. At least, 10 vehicles, including some BEST buses, were damaged when irate mobs attacked them.
The desecration of the statue which happened in Kanpur led to the attacks. Groups of young men continued to protest against the incident in Dalit-dominated pockets in the north and north-east parts of Mumbai, said police. Incidents of stone-pelting and road-blocks were also reported in suburbs like Kanjur Marg, Mulund, Bhandup, Navghar, Chembur, Kurar and Worli.
With the situation running out of control, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil ordered the police to take necessary measures to curb the violent situation that had overflowed into the streets.
Meanwhile, in Pune, curfew was imposed in 14 localities of the Pimpri-Nigdi area due to large-scale violence on Wednesday.reports said that over 50 private vehicles were stoned and set ablaze and shops and business establishment were also attacked.
In Pimpri, two cops were seriously hurt in stone throwing. Police have arrested many of the protestors who took to violence. In Thane and Aurangabad districts, police had to resort to fired in the air to disperse a crowd of 1,000 Dalit protestors demonstrating at Mukundwadi.
Six persons, including sub-inspector and a constable, were injured. The inuyred have been admitted to hospital.
The Maharashtra Home Department is keeping vigil to prevent any untoward developments in the wake of the violence.
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