Saket Sessions Court today granted bail to Bhim Army chief Chandrshakehar Azad Ravan, two months after his arrest. Bhim Army has alleged that the granting of bail was timed with the conclusion of electioneering in two states that are going to the polls on Monday, Haryana and Maharashtra.The organisation has alleged that the ruling BJP “feared” that Azad’s campign in these states would dent its prospects.
The bail order may be read here.
Sabrangindia had reported that the arrests of the chief of Bhim Army and 90 others followed their vociferous protests against the “fascist actions of the BJP Government” against the activists who participated in protests opposing the demolition of the Ravidas temple in Delhi and have targeted subsequently. When the organisation had tried protesting a total of 96 persons had been arrested. A statement of Bhim army had said, ” Despite our repeated attempts, the 96 people unlawfully arrested on August 21 continue to be prosecuted. We demand the immediate release of these innocent people who are hounded and targeted relentlessly for the simple fact that they dared to stand up for the rights of the marginalised. We also demand that the temple be reconstructed at the exact same place.”
On August 22, the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protesters who had gathered to protest the demolition of the Ravidas temple, a revered place for Dalits. The protesters carried on a march from Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan to Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi. On the same day, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and more than 90 protesters were detained.
The incident had
triggered anger among the residents of the village, mostly from the Dalit community. The villagers, led by members of Bhim Army, staged a protest against the demolition on the same day. The protesters had also blocked the Behat-Saharanpur road and chanted slogans against the government. The angry protesters demanded that the people responsible for vandalising the statue be arrested immediately and also called for the installation of a new statue of Ambedkar.
The temple was demolished in earlier in August by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) which comes directly under the authority of the Central government. It was ordered to be demolished on the plea of encroaching forest land, even though the temple was nearly five centuries old. This 15th century temple located in a forested area was dedicated to Sant Guru Ravidas, a spiritual saint and a poet highly revered by many people and especially Dalit communities in North India.
The Ravidas Mandir is of particular spritual and real significance to Dalits in north India.
