Prominent citizens and activists from various leftist and other political parties, NGOs, social and cultural groups on Monday staged a massive march in central Mumbai in protest against a series of hate crimes and lynchings occurring across India during the past three years.
The protesters, led by Prakash Ambedkar and Vishwas Utagi, began their march at Kotwal Gardens walked all the way to Chaityabhoomi at Dadar in north-central Mumbai.
The CPM, CPI, Bharatiya Republican Party (Bharip), Aam Admi Party (AAP) ANIS, lal Nishan Paksh, lal Nishan Paksh (l), CPI (Ml), SUCI, CITU, AITUC, TUSC were among the 40-odd political and other organisations that took part in the protest march. The … rally evoked tremendous response among the masses,”
In a statement issued as part of the protest march, the organisers said: “The rise of Bharatiya Janata Party, RSS to power in 2014 has been marked by lynchings and killings of Muslims, Dalits and rationalists with nauseating regularity... Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) speaks out only when public protests reach a critical mass and then lapses into silence until the next uproar."
listing the “hate crimes” witnessed across the country, the organisers said: “It all started in 2014 when a techie Moshin Shaikh was beaten to death in Pune for his ‘Muslim-like’ appearance, while in Mumbai a youth Yakub Shaikh was killed.