NAGPUR, July 24: More than 500 members of the Republican Party of India (RPI) were arrested by Nagpur police on Wednesday, after they staged a dharna near the Old Secretariat building. The activists were demanding the dismissal of the BJP-Shiv Sena government and registering of an offence of murder against policemen involved in the firings which killed Dalits.The police permitted the RPI to take out a morcha from the RBI Square to the Old Secretariat building. However, they refused to disperse after the morcha and staged dharnas.The list of RPI demands include a CBI inquiry into the firings, hike in compensation to the persons killed in firings and recruiting nearest kin of the deceased in a government job. A memorandum of these demands was submitted by RPI leaders to the Divisional Commissioner, Shahjad Hussain at the later's office.Contrary to the expectations of the police that the morcha would lead to violence, the rally was peaceful and few hundred members, mostly from north Nagpur participated in it. RPI leaders who led the morcha included Wasudeo Ganar, Gajanan Gajghate, Sadanand Phulzele, leader of Opposition in NMC, Raju Bahadure, Corporators Prakash Gajbhiye, Dharam Patil, Yeshwant Meshram, Prof Jyoti Lanjewar, Prof Pradeep Aaglawe and others.The morcha was stopped in front of the National Fire Service College. RPI leaders addressed the gathering at the stopping point, lambasting the State Government for its anti-Dalit policies. Leaders also lashed out against police for taking lives of innocent people.
