A young woman in a grey hoodie, standing firmly with her arms spread out to block a police van, has emerged as one of the most striking images from Mumbai's protests supporting the Cockroach Janta Party's agitation over the NEET paper leak.
As the CJP-led protest against examination irregularities continued in Delhi, young demonstrators in Mumbai took to the streets on Thursday to express solidarity and protest against what they described as alleged police action during the 'Sansad Chalo' march.
Who is Rhiya Ahir?
Rhiya Ahir is a 27-year-old model who found herself at the centre of the protest after intervening when she saw protesters being taken away by the police. She said she believed the detainees were being removed unnecessarily and immediately rushed towards the vehicle.
Ahir has a strong presence on Instagram, with nearly one lakh followers, and has also appeared in music videos. Her most recent appearance was in the video song 'Dilbara'.
She was walking from Kohinoor Square in Dadar towards Shivaji Park when she noticed the police van filled with detainees, as per an earlier HT report.
Also read | Woman who blocked Mumbai police van in viral video is 27-yr-old model Rhiya Ahir
{{/usCountry}}Also read | Woman who blocked Mumbai police van in viral video is 27-yr-old model Rhiya Ahir
{{/usCountry}}"I couldn’t help myself," she said. "Their chants—they pulled me towards them. I was like, if I’m going for the protest, it starts from here. They’re taking them away, and I cannot let that happen."
Ahir said the police told her the detainees would be released after the vehicle had travelled some distance, but she refused to accept that explanation.
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"They didn’t say anything. They knew that they were wrong," Ahir said.
'I was shaking on the inside'
Although videos from the scene showed her standing firmly in front of the van, Ahir said she was nervous throughout the confrontation. "When I confronted them, I was shaking on the inside," she said.
Despite that fear, she chose not to move. "I knew that what I was doing was right."
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Ahir claimed police initially tried to move the vehicle forward. "They tried to accelerate a bit, but that didn’t budge me," she said.
She remained in front of the van until, the detained protesters were released.
In a video posted 16 hours ago, Ahir said, “Holding a peaceful rally to summon the Prime Minister is like... What are you living on 1947? If you want to summon the Prime Minister, you hold a big fat Indian wedding.”
In another video, shared on Wednesday Rhiya Ahir spoke about her outfit and the precautions she was taking before joining the demonstration.
Ahir said she had chosen her clothes keeping the protest conditions in mind. She showed her hat, saying, “This is a hat, if I get a stick on my head, you protect me from that.”
CJP protest in Mumbai
Mumbai Police have filed 13 FIRs since July 18 over the ongoing protests, citing charges including unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders. Around 400 people have been booked in connection with the cases, news agency PTI reported.
Reportedly, demonstrations were held at multiple locations, including Shivaji Park, Chaityabhoomi, Chembur and Shiv Sena Bhavan, despite no official permission being granted for the gatherings.
The police have also enforced prohibitory restrictions across Mumbai from July 23 to August 6, preventing gatherings of five or more people in public areas.