NOIDA: Police are bracing for a large turnout for the mahapanchayat called by the Tyagi community in Noida on Sunday to protest against "harassment" of Shrikant Tyagi and his family.
With community members mobilising from eight states, police estimate up to 50,000 people could gather for the meeting. The local intelligence unit (LIU) of Noida police is on its toes to ensure that no trouble-maker takes advantage and tries to provoke unrest. Nearly 1,500 police officers will be deployed across the city to keep a close watch.
"We are in continuous touch with community leaders across districts or states and have asked them to share the exact number of people who will join the meeting. We have asked for details like phone numbers and addresses of the participants too. This will ensure no anti-social element gets into the protest and creates ruckus," Parul Punia, who is in charge of LIU, said.
The mahapanchayat is to be held at Ramlila Maidan and gathering points are Maharishi Ashram, Gejha-Bhangel Road and Sector 110. The Bharatiya Kisan Union's Tikait group has thrown its support behind the mahapanchayat.
"Apart from the police, five companies of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (UP-PAC) will also be deployed across the city. The (Tyagi) community has sought permission for holding the protest; the approval process is still under way," said Ranvijay Singh, additional DCP (law and order).
The Tyagi community has sought action against police personnel "who mentally tortured Anu Tyagi (Shrikant Tyagi's wife)" and the withdrawal of charges Gangsters Act charges against Tyagi.
"Anu Tyagi was mentally tortured and harassed by Noida police while Shrikant was on the run. The police misbehaved with Anu. So, we demand action against them. Our second demand involves people terming Shrikant Tyagi as 'galibaaz Tyagi' or 'badtameez Tyagi' and tarnishing the image of our caste. Our children might suffer because of this in the future. So, we demand action against such people too," said Ashwini Tyagi, a Sanyukt Tyagi Swabhiman Morcha member.
The meeting will start around 10am on Sunday, and if the demands are not accepted, the Tyagis may sit on an indefinite protest, with more people joining in. community representatives warned. "We do not support the act by Shrikant, but he should only get punishment for misbehaving with the woman," said Ashwini Tyagi.
Shrikant Tyagi was booked on molestation, criminal intimidation and other charges of the IPC after a video earlier this month showed him locked in an argument with a fellow resident of a Sector 93B society in which he uses abusive language and shoves her. He went into hiding and was arrested from Meerut five days later. While police looked for him, some of his supporters barged into the society and raised slogans, drawing an angry reaction from Noida's BJP MP Mahesh Sharma, who admonished the police for lapses. Though Tyagi claims to be a member of BJP's Kisan Morcha, the party denied links with him.
