Protesters clash with police in Shimla over UGC Act

Protesters in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, clashed with police outside the state Secretariat on Thursday following a 600-km, 21-day march known as the ‘Swarn Samaj Ashwamedh Nyay Yatra’. The demonstration, organized by the Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party and the Devbhoomi Kshatriya Party, sought the withdrawal of certain provisions of the UGC Act and the enactment of a law for the protection of the Swarn Samaj community.

Tensions escalated when demonstrators attempted to enter the Secretariat premises or climbed the main gate. In response, police deployed water cannons and utilized a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and regain control. The protesters, led by figures such as Rumit Singh Thakur, aimed to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu regarding social justice and community interests.