As protests run by the supporters of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spread across major cities, a sight has caught the attention. It is the sight of a young woman standing in front of a police van carrying students who were detained amid the protests.
Sporting a hoodie and braving the rain, the woman was seen stopping the moving police van during a protest near Shivaji Park in Dadar. Local reports said her actions prompted others to join in with slogans. Seeing their momentum, the Mumbai police reportedly released the protesters.
The woman was later identified as Rhiya Ahir. Many identified her as an actress and entrepreneur. She has nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram and has appeared in several music videos. She was last seen in the song "Dilbara."
Rhiya later told local media that she was not a student but stood with them. “The police have not done their duty properly. Since they have not acted responsibly, we as citizens have to do our duty ourselves. I am not a student. But I stand with the students. It was wrong to throw tear gas shells and lathicharge on students in Delhi," she added.
Her actions went viral, with many singing praises of her. Mumbai comedian Rohan Joshi shared her image with the caption, "The youth of Mumbai came out to protest today with anger in their hearts, but peace in every gesture. They were manhandled, detained, but they protested with dignity and passion, which is their right."
Mumbai has been witnessing protests in solidarity with the CJP-led students' agitation in New Delhi, with protesters facing police action in many places. The Mumbai police have registered 13 FIRs since July 18 in connection with the ongoing protests on charges of unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders, booking 400 people, officials said on Wednesday.
