BAPSA members detained by police ahead of protest march

Over a dozen members of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) were detained by police today when they tried to march to the office of the home ministry here to protest against the recent caste-based violence in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The protest was organised by the BAPSA at 11 am in front of the office of the home ministry at North Block here, to condemn the killing of two men in Saharanpur, the recent incidents of lynching in Jharkhand and attacks by cow vigilantes in various parts of the country.

"Around 14 students were detained from Rafi Marg, before they headed to North Block, and taken to the Mandir Marg police station," a police officer said.
 

However, the BAPSA, which has been active on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, claimed that many of its activists were detained and taken to different police stations.

All the students were later released.

Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh witnessed widespread caste-based clashes this month, in which two persons were killed.