Unrest prevailed at the site of the Mumbai Bagh protest in Mumbai Central, after several agitating women alleged that they had been manhandled by police personnel on Friday morning. Angry demonstrators blocked the busy Nagpada junction for several hours.
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The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens, and National Population Register, which began on the night of January 26, entered its 39th day on Friday. The agitation is being conducted on a relay basis by women from all over the city.
According to protesters, some of them, who were leaving in the early hours, were erecting a tarpaulin shade for those who were staying back when the police allegedly stopped them. The women claimed that the shade was for those who had been suffering from heat stroke and other ailments.
Several videos which went viral on WhatsApp show women saying they had been assaulted and their modesty outraged by policemen in plain clothes. A video also shows a few women lying on the ground, apparently unconscious.
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The protesters alleged that the outrage was carried out on an order by senior police inspector Shalini Sharma, Nagpada police station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) Abhinash Kumar said, “We are assessing the footage of the incident. It appears that the women fell as a result of the argument, but if there are any excesses committed by the police, action will be taken.”
While there was no video of the actual assault, another video in which a man was heard inciting women to allege misconduct by male police personnel started doing the rounds.
Agitators have for several days been accusing Ms. Sharma of intimidating and making things difficult for them, and have now demanded her dismissal from service.
“They have taken our chairs and water supplies, and have been threatening us with severe consequences since we began.” Mariam, a regular protester, said.
Another woman, Aisha, said while the police claimed that the protest was causing inconvenience to residents, this was not the case. “The residents of the area have been helping us throughout. They have no problems with us and even bring us food and water, and offer help. So this is just another way to harass us.”
Eight protesters were taken to Nair Hospital for a check-up on Friday afternoon. A short while later, a large mob of demonstrators came out of the protest venue and gathered at the Nagpada junction, demanding action against the police personnel responsible.
Mr. Kumar and other police personnel had to reason with them for over an hour before they went back to the protest site.
“We are always in purdah , even at home. It is a matter of our faith, but there were male officers who did not have any badges and who were directly pushing us, pulling our scarves, and manhandling us,” claimed Aneesa Sarguru, a social worker who has been at the protest from the first day.