Mumbai: Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal members in volume of thousands participated in the 'Aakrosh Rally' against alleged harassment from Mumbai Police. Senior VHP functionaries of the Konkan division met police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and raised their concerns about multiple instances where their karyakartas were harassed and assaulted by the police.
On Tuesday, VHP and its youth wing Bajrang Dal held a protest rally against alleged harassment from Mumbai Police. The right-wing Hindu organisation has alleged that the police have assaulted and threatened its volunteers on multiple occasions including the recent Ram Navami procession on April 20.
VHP, Bajrang Dal members march to Mumbai Police HQ demanding action against Wadala cops | Photo Credits: Vijay Gohil
Hindu activists took to the street with placards reading ‘Being Hindu is our crime’ along with sloganeering against Mumbai Police. Thousands of VHP and Bajrang Dal members rallied from Churchgate railway station to Mumbai police headquarters where senior VHP functionaries met police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and raised their concerns regarding the police’s behaviour with their members.
At a press conference on Monday, VHP had alleged that its members, assisting a minor girl to file a molestation complaint, were brutally assaulted by Vakola police in the police station’s detection room. Similarly, it alleged that deputy commissioner of police (Zone-12) Smita Patil had threatened its members of shooting them after they had opposed cross complaints in an attack case.
VHP, Bajrang Dal members march to Mumbai Police HQ demanding action against Wadala cops | Photo Credits: Vijay Gohil
VHP, Bajrang Dal members march to Mumbai Police HQ demanding action against Wadala cops | Photo Credits: Vijay Gohil
VHP also alleged that the participants of Ram Navami procession in Wadala on April 20 were beaten by the police. Mohan Salekar, secretary of VHP’s Konkan division, had claimed that the procession, which was earlier scheduled to be held on the day of the festival, had to be shifted after the police’s request to maintain law and order during Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. However, he alleged that the police later cancelled the permission and assaulted the participants.
VHP, Bajrang Dal members march to Mumbai Police HQ demanding action against Wadala cops | Photo Credits: Vijay Gohil
The senior VHP functionaries met the police commissioner and demanded that the Wadala police officials involved in the alleged assault should be suspended. It also demanded that the police officials on field should be instructed to treat the organisation’s members properly without any malice.
