Police on Thursday denied permission to a programme scheduled to be addressed by Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid and detained many students gathered outside the Bhaidas Hall in suburban Vile Parle for the event.
A police official said the number of students and activists detained was not available.
The police denied permission in the wake of protests and bandh in the State on Wednesday following violence on the anniversary of a battle fought 200 years ago at Bhima Koregaon in Pune, a senior police official said.
The police have not given permission for the programme, Datta Daghe, president of Chhatra Bharati, organiser of the event, told PTI .
Security increased outside Bhaidas hall, Vileparle where Jignesh Mewani, Umer Khalid was to address All India Students Summit organised by Chhatra Bharati. Police denied permission for the programme.
“Despite this we plan to go ahead with the programme. Mevani, Khalid and other invitees are coming after 11 am,” he said. There was a huge police presence at the hall and students were not being allowed to go inside, he alleged.
Pune police had said that they had received a complaint against Mevani and Khalid for their “provocative” speeches at an event in Pune on December 31.
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 Pune.
Violence erupted in Pune district when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa’s army.
