Bharat Bandh: Dalit protest across the nation claims 9 lives
Curfew has also been imposed in several places and hundreds have been detained.
New Delhi/ Bhopal/ Lucknow/ Jaipur: Nine people were killed on Monday as violent protests erupted across nine states during a nation-wide bandh called by several Dalit organisations against a Supreme Court ruling which has allegedly “diluted” the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
After hundreds of protesters carrying swords, sticks, baseball bats and flags forced shopkeepers and other establishments to shutdown in several cities of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Odisha and Jharkhand, there were reports of shooting, vandalism, arson and clashes with police forces. Several people were injured, including police personnel.
By evening, the Centre had rushed 1,700 anti-riot police personnel to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab from where the maximum number of incidents of violence were reported. Curfew has also been imposed in several places and hundreds have been detained.
Officials said, six persons were reported to have been died in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh, while two died in Uttar Pradesh and one died in Rajasthan.
Of the nine affected states, five have BJP governments, while in one, Bihar, the BJP is a coalition partner. Punjab, Odisha and Delhi have Congress, BJD and AAP governments in power.