On Saturday, 29th July, at least 10 police personnel got injured as protesters pelted stones at them in Nashik, Maharashtra. The protesters were agitating against the viral video of two women during Manipur violence. Police detained around 30 protesters following the stone pelting.
The Eklavya Adivasi Sanghatana, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and other local organisations organised the protest in Nashik. Thousands of young men joined the protest without wearing a shirt and organised a march to mark the protest. When they reached the Tehsil office, some tried to do a sit-in agitation in front of the Satana police station.
#BigNews: महाराष्ट्र के #Nashik में तनाव के हालात.. आदिवासियों ने किया पुलिस पर पथराव.. मणिपुर हिंसा के खिलाफ मार्च के दौरान हुई झड़प @rrakesh_pandey #Maharashtra #ManipurViolence #Manipur pic.twitter.com/Lwz0ywiFnV
— Times Now Navbharat (@TNNavbharat) July 29, 2023
Notably, police said they did not have permission for a sit-in protest. Furthermore, the police informed the protesters that MLA could not accept the memorandum as he was attending the Assembly session in Mumbai. A heated argument took place between the protesters and the police after they pelted stones at the police personnel and the vehicles that were crossing the area. Following the incident, shops and other commercial establishments downed their shutter as a precaution.
In the name of solidarity march for #Manipur, protestors were seen vandalising roadside shops & vehicles and stone-pelting on police!
— NK (@nirmal_indian) July 29, 2023
The march was organised by Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi, a key MVA ally in #Maharashtra. The vandalism happened in Satana city, near Nashik! pic.twitter.com/lJme0UmksF
The police had to use mild lathi-charge to disperse the protesters. Superintendent of Police Shahaji told PTI, “Ten police personnel were injured in the incident, and we have taken 21 people who indulged in stone-pelting in custody. The incident took place after the protest march. The additional force was called in immediately. The situation is now peaceful.”
The investigation into the matter is underway.
Manipur viral video case
On 19th July, a video of two women being stripped and paraded naked in Manipur surfaced on social media. The incident occurred on May 4, a day after Manipur violence started. It was reported first on May 18. Two FIRs were registered in the matter, the second of which was registered on June 21 at Saikul Police Station.
So far, seven arrests have been made in the case. The matter took a political turn, with opposition leaders stalling parliament proceedings over the case. The Manipur viral video case has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
