Published 12:22 IST, January 7th 2020
Mumbai Police urges 'peaceful & professional protest'; shifts demonstrators to Azad Maidan
Amid the ongoing protest in Mumbai over the JNU violence, Mumbai Police urged Mumbaikars to abstain from taking any steps that would cause inconvenience
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Amid the ongoing protest in Mumbai over the JNU violence, Mumbai Police on Tuesday urged Mumbaikars to abstain from taking any steps that would cause inconvenience to the citizens. Taking to microblogging site Mumbai police said that the protestors were relocated in a peaceful and professional manner from Gateway of India to Azad Maidan in the interest of the general public.
Dear Mumbaikars,
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 7, 2020
Azad Maidan is the designated place for all agitations in South Mumbai as per Hon. HC instructions. However, some agitators gathered at an important South Mumbai location for a long duration without any permission.
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Whatsoever, thereby causing immense inconvenience to office going Mumbaikars, local residents, tourists & also caused major traffic congestion in the area.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 7, 2020
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Despite repeated sincere endeavors from local Police to convince them to relocate to Azad Maidan, they remained unreasonably adamant.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 7, 2020
Consequently, in the interest of general public, they were relocated to Azad Maidan, in a peaceful & professional manner.
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We call upon fellow Mumbaikars to desist from taking any step which may cause inconvenience to the citizens.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 7, 2020
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Speaking to Republic TV DCP of Zone 1, Sangramsingh Nishandar said, "For the past two days, police made several appeals to the protestors. On Monday they marched a protest from Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India, paralysing the traffic of South Mumbai. They chanted slogans and blocked the roads. We respect their views but we have to maintain law and order in the city".
"As the protests posed difficulty to the tourists and affected the daily routine of residents in the locality, police appealed the protestors to move the rally to Azad Maidan. Even after telling them about unlawful assembly, they still persisted. So we parked our vehicles and began to move the protesters from Gateway to Azad Maidaan, where they will have water and sanitation facilities. Some did not move and had to be picked up."
Police take cognizance
The Mumbai Police on Tuesday said serious actions will be taken over the controversial poster shown on Monday's protest against JNU violence at Gateway of India. According to sources, the Maharashtra government ordered the Mumbai Police to relocate the protestors from Gateway of India after the "Free Kashmir" poster was displayed at the protest.
The Police further stated that they will be filing a case against the students under section 135, unlawful gathering at a public place as no prior permission was taken for the protest. The police are also in search for the girl who held the placard, as per sources.
Talking to the media DCP of Zone 1, Sangramsingh Nishandar said, "We have taken serious cognizance of the 'free Kashmir' poster seen in the protest last night at Gateway of India. We are definitely investigating it."
12:22 IST, January 7th 2020