Dalit protests hit Ghaziabad hard, about 1,000 booked

Ghaziabad: Police hurled charges against about 1,000 people on Monday after widespread protests by Dalits severely disrupted rail and road traffic and triggered violence in Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

Police sources said charges of rioting were filed against the 1,000, of which about 100 were named and 30 were arrested by early evening.

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The police action came as traffic on all highways and major city roads besides rail tracks was paralyzed as Dalit activists took to the streets against the Supreme Court dilution of a law aimed at preventing atrocities on Dalits and tribals.

The police said the protesters, under the banner of several Dalit organisations, stopped train movement on the busy Delhi-Kolkata route. The Moradabad and Saharanpur rail tracks were also crippled as people squatted on rail tracks.

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When police tried to free the tracks, the demonstrators started pelting stones at them and set fire to several private and public vehicles.

On National Highway 24, the police opened fire in the air when traffic on the Delhi-Lucknow section was halted.

After the police action, the protesters dispersed and started brickbatting the police force from adjoining localities. Several policemen were injured, a police officer said.