Police resorted to a lathi-charge and used water cannons on members of the Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party, who were protesting outside the secretariat in Shimla to demand the withdrawal of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act.

The protesters marched to the secretariat after completing a 600-km, 21-day ‘Swarn Samaj Ashwamedh Nyay Yatra’, demanding the rollback of UGC provisions, enactment of a law for the protection of the Swarn Samaj and action on issues concerning social justice.

The protesters began their march from near the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Shimla, travelled through Khalini and Tolland before reaching the secretariat. They subsequently gathered outside the state government complex and sought to submit a memorandum to chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Police deployed at the secretariat stopped them and used force as they attempted to move towards the premises. The protesters were demanding that the government receive their memorandum and address their concerns.

The march marked the culmination of the fourth phase of the nationwide Swarn Samaj campaign, which the organisers said began in Himachal Pradesh on October 2 and covered 600 kilometres over 21 days. Participants included representatives of social organisations from Himachal Pradesh and other states.

RDP national president Rumit Singh Thakur said. “We have walked 600 kilometres over 21 days and have come here to place our demands before the government. Although the UGC issue does not fall directly within the state government’s jurisdiction, we want the government and opposition to raise our concerns.”