Cops stop Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan from visiting Ghaziabad dispute site, send him back

GHAZIABAD: Police stopped Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, the Dalit activist and chief of Bhim Army, from visiting an area in Indirapuram where tension had flared up last week over an anti-encroachment drive near a mosque that took a communal colour.
A police officer said Azad was detained and sent back because there was apprehension that his visit could once again lead to a law-and-order problem.One of Azad’s supporters was booked under the Arms Act for carrying a gun and taken into custody, a police officer said.
Azad, sources said, was headed for Makanpur village to talk to locals there. But he was detained more than a kilometre before Makanpur, at Kanawani near the exit ramp of the Hindon elevated road. From there, he was taken to Indirapuram police station, a police officer said.
A police team then escorted Azad up to the Ghaziabad border. “This step was taken as a conflict had already taken place in the village a few days ago. Azad’s visit could have led to fresh tension, so we decided to take precautionary measures to maintain law and order. He was detained and escorted outside the district border along with his supporters,” a police officer said.
Some of Azad’s supporters who allegedly misbehaved with the cops have been booked. No one, though, has been named in the FIR, which has been registered against 25 unknown people under sections 147 and 148 (rioting) and 353 (use of assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty).
“One of Azad’s supporters was arrested with a modified rifle and a case under relevant sections of the Arms Act has been registered against him,” said SP (city) Shlok Kumar. “A team from PAC, two circle officers and four police teams were deployed near the mosque,” Kumar added.
Kamal Wallia, general secretary of the Bhim Army, said Azad was going to the village to promote peace. “We have asked police and the administration to remove all charges from the Bhim Army members, otherwise we will protest. Police are trying to frame our members. They did nothing and they were there to support the Bhim army chief only,” he added.