Police impose Section 144 in Gurgaon to disperse agitators
GURGAON: The city was hit by the Dalit agitation on Monday, with protesters blocking traffic on the Delhi-gurgaon expressway for an hour. Traffic was also disrupted at Kanhai village and HUDA City Center, and shops were shut at Sadar Bazaar.
Police said no incidents of violence were reported from any place and no one was arrested.
The protests were against the Supreme Court’s March 20 order banning automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — a legislation meant to protect the marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination.
Around 10 am, protestors gathered at Kamla Nehru Park, near Civil Lines, and shut shops in Sadar Bazaar, which have many Dalit traders, for a short duration.
Around the same time, 250 residents of Kanhai village cut off traffic movement on the 1.2-km Bhagwan Mahaveer Marg, which
RAJEEV SINGH, a protester
connects DLF 5, Huda City Center and Sector 30. Gurgaon Police had to divert traffic, leading to congestion on arterial roads such as St Thomas Marg, Arya Samaj Marg and Artemis Road.
Respite came only after a memorandum was submitted to duty magistrate Dalbir Singh Duggal. A few protestors gathered at the nearby Huda City Centre junction at about 1.45 pm but police dispersed the protestors within 10 minutes.
While Gurgaon police officials were concentrating their force at Kanhai village, members of Bharat Virodh Pradarshan Bandh, a Dalit organisation, moved from Sadar Bazaar towards Rajiv Chowk around 12 pm.
Protestors blocked the expressway at Rajiv Chowk, burning effigies and raising slogans in the presence of police.
“The Supreme Court has failed to preserve our interests and exposed us to further atrocities across the country. Hence, we are staging this peaceful protest to garner the SC’S attention and urge it to reconsider its decision,” Nawab Satpal Tanwar, national president of Akhil Bhartiya Bhim Sena said.
Protesters finally dispersed when deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh enforced Section 144 at about 11.45 am, prohibiting the assembly of crowds.
Nearly 200 police officials were deployed at Rajiv Chowk junction with batons, shields and helmets. The Quick Reaction Team (QRT) was also summoned. Around 2 pm, the protestors called off their demonstration on the expressway.
“We are still watching the situation. But the force was advised to exercise maximum restraint,” Sandeep Khirwar, Gurgaon police commissioner said.