The fire of the ongoing caste clashes in Maharashtra, which began over celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa's army, reached as far as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.
As many as 12 buses were vandalized in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur, while protestors blocked the Rajkot Somnath Highway and damaged a bus in Rajkot.
Earlier today, the Mumbai Police denied permission to an event which was to be attended by newly-elected Gujarat MLA and Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani and Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid.
The event was scheduled to be held at the Bhaidas Auditorium at Mithibai College, Vile Parle (W).
Denied permission, organisers said they will hold the event at an alternate venue, or even on the road if necessary. The police detained over 50 students from the scheduled venue, including the event organiser Kapil Patil, and forced several out of the auditorium.
As it happened:
01:22 pm:
01:16 pm: Fire of violence reaches Madhya Pradesh. A bus in Burhanpur has been damaged by protestors.
12:33 pm:
12:26 pm:
11:57 am:
11:46 am: According to India TV sources, Maharashtra government has given the factual report (a report on real-time situation explaining the reason of violence) to the Home Ministry.
11:35 am: Mumbai Police have arrested the organizer of Jignesh Mevani's event Kapil Patil, who is an MLC from Lok Bharti. He has a strong hold among student unions.
11:33 am: The fire of violence in Maharashtra has reached Gujarat as the Rajkot-Somnath Highway has been blocked. A bus in Rajkot was vandalized on Wednesday.
11:30 am: The government has taken all the necessary action on the incidents of violence: Sanjay Raut
11:26 am: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut alleges conspiracy behind the Bhima Koregaon clashes, says attempts were made to divide the society.
11:20 am: Bhima Koregaon violence issue raised in Rajya Sabha by Congress MP Rajni Patil; SP's Naresh Agarwal also demands action and constitution of a Commission for a report on the matter
11:09 am: Pune: FIR registered against Jignesh Mevani and Umar Khalid under section 153(A), 505 & 117 at Vishrambaug Police Station
11:08 am: The event also features many other young leaders such as Richa Singh of Allahabad, Bedabrata Gogoi of Assam and Pradeep Narwal of Haryana.
11:04 am: There are reports of clashes between students and police outside Bhaidas Auditorium, after which the police has sealed the venue. However, organizers say that they haven't received any such notice and insist that they will hold the venue.
10:57 am:
10:48 am:
10:47 am: Section 144 has been imposed outside the college.
10:45 am: Umar Khalid and Jignesh Mewani have been invited at this event here, this had been fixed earlier: Sagar Bhalerao (Chhatra Bharati,VP), Organiser
Mevani and Khalid had attended the "Elgar Parishad", an event organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon, at Shaniwar Wada in the city on December 31. The Mumbai Police had received several complaints against Mevani and Khalid for making "provocative" speeches there.
Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra have seen sporadic incidents of violence and widespread protests after members of right wing Hindu organizations attacked Dalits who were on their way to attend a function in Bhima-Koregaon village near Pune.
The 10-hour shutdown called by Dalit parties paralysed large parts of Maharashtra on Wednesday, with a minor boy killed in Nanded and several others injured in Mumbai in sporadic incidents of violence.
Later in the day, the bandh call was withdrawn by BR Ambedkar’a grandson Prakash Ambedkar-led Dalit group Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh.
