Prabhat Dhyani’s release demanded through protest demonstration gheraoing the Ramnagar Kotwali

Ramanagar : Workers of various social and political organizations staged a massive protest on Saturday by gheraoing the Ramnagar Kotwali, demanding the immediate release of Prabhat Dhyani, President of Uttarakhand Parivartan Party, who was taken into custody on 19th July at 5 pm after being deboarded from a train at Rishikesh Railway Station.

Prabhat Dhyani was on his way from Rishikesh to participate in the program at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, demanding the resignation of the Education Minister and education reforms.

Prabhat Dhyani was released on 20th July at 2 pm the next day. After his release, workers of various political and social organizations took out a march and held a protest.

The protesters demanded the dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They also said that privatization of education must be stopped and the New Education Policy should be withdrawn by the government. They further stated that the dual education system — one for the rich and another for the poor — must be ended. A constitutional amendment should be made to grant every citizen the legal right to free, equal, scientific, quality education in their mother tongue.

Addressing the gathering, *Prabhat Dhyani* said that stopping people from joining the Jantar Mantar protest across Uttarakhand and the country is the Modi government’s dictatorship. He appealed to the people to oust such an authoritarian government.

He said that at 5 pm on 19th July, Rishikesh Kotwali Police, led by SSI Naveen Joshi, along with GRP constables, suddenly deboarded him from the train at Rishikesh Railway Station and took him into custody. His luggage and mobile phone were also seized by the police. When asked for the reason, police said they had received input from Nainital Police to stop him from going to Jantar Mantar. Later he was brought to Ramnagar Kotwali and handed over to Kotwal Sushil Kumar, who kept him in police custody overnight.

Prabhat Dhyani alleged that during his detention, his friends and family were not given correct information about his arrest, which is a violation of the law.

A petition has also been filed in the Uttarakhand High Court regarding Prabhat Dhyani’s illegal detention. The court has reprimanded the police. The matter will be heard again tomorrow.

_Those present at the program included:_ Manish Kumar, Jagmohan Singh and Girish Chandra of Samajwadi Lok Manch; Manmohan Agarwal, Patron of Vyapar Mandal; Maninder Singh Sethi, President of Devbhoomi Vyapar Mandal; Rohit Ruhela of Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra; Mohammad Asif, Sunil, Lalmani and Kiran of Uttarakhand Parivartan Party; Kaushalya, Saraswati and Lalita Rawat of Mahila Ekta Manch; Tulsi Chhimbal and Sheela Sharma of Pragatisheel Mahila Ekta Kendra; AISA leader Sumit Kumar; statehood activists Pushkar Durgapal, Chandrashekhar Joshi, Inder Singh Manral, Rais Ahmed, Devendra Bhatt; Advocates Suresh Nainwal and Prakash Bisht; Mohan Kandpal, Kamal Kargeti, Hem Joshi, T.K. Khan and Shahid. A large number of people reached the police station to protest against the police action.