Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): Members of SC, ST, OBC communities and Bhim Army activists, rallying in support of UGC Equity Regulations Bill, 2026, were stopped by police from marching towards Collectorate on Friday.
The rally was taken out to protest against the Supreme Court’s stay on UGC’s new equity rules and demanded its implementation. Despite rain, the protesters gathered at Ambedkar circle around 2 pm.
Protesters had planned to march to the Collectorate to submit a memorandum addressed to the President. However, police erected barricades at Court Square, a short distance from the starting point to prevent the procession from moving ahead.
Demonstrators objected towards resistance by authorities, stating they wish to move ahead peacefully. Sailana MLA Kamleshwar Dodiyar, insisted on moving forward with the rally. However, police did not permit the rally to advance.
SDM (City) Archie Harit, SDM (Rural) Vivek Sonkar, CSP Satyendra Ghanghoria and tehsildar Rishabh Thakur later reached the spot and offered to accept the memorandum at Court Square. Reluctantly, the memorandum was eventually handed over to officials present.
Clash In Bhind Over UGC Rules; After Cross-Complaints, Fresh FIR Registered
Tensions escalated in Bhind’s Mehgaon area after two groups filed cross-complaints, leading to protests by the Parashuram Sena and other groups on Wednesday.
According to reports, members of the Bhim Army and the Dalit community were conducting a march in Kohar village to garner support for the implementation of new UGC guidelines. During the event, they allegedly faced opposition from three students.
The protesting side claimed that the students—identified as Sumit Bhadouriya, Kanha Bhadouriya, and Aakash Sharma—assaulted them. Following a complaint filed by Bhim Army members, the police registered an FIR against the three students under the SC/ST Act.
The situation took a new turn on Wednesday when Parashuram Sena members and other groups staged a protest against the arrests.
