A peace march in support of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk was held in Nagpur on Saturday evening, with police altering the planned route at the last moment. The march, originally scheduled to proceed from Samvidhan Chowk to the Mahatma Gandhi statue via Sitabuldi, was instead diverted to conclude back at Samvidhan Chowk itself after police denied permission for the Gandhi statue leg just before the 5 pm start.
Titled “In Support of Sonam Wangchuk – A Peaceful Step Towards Justice and Freedom,” the march drew participation from students, social organisations’ representatives, and people from various professional and civic backgrounds.
Organisers said the aim was to uphold constitutional values, protect freedom of expression, and reaffirm democratic dissent, urging participants to remain disciplined and peaceful throughout.Participants raised slogans against the Union government, targeting Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over his continued position despite the ongoing protests, with chants including calls for his resignation and “Inquilab Zindabad.”
The march followed Wangchuk’s forcible removal by Delhi Police from his 21-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on July 18, where he had been protesting since June 28 demanding action against alleged NEET paper leak irregularities and the arrest of an accused. Police also detained protesters at the site; activist Abhijeet Dipke alleged he was manhandled and taken into custody during the crackdown, a claim police have denied.
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