Uttarakhand Protests: Clash Over Forest Land Survey Intensifies

Six people were arrested, and 700 others booked for disrupting law and order during a protest in Rishikesh against a forest land survey. The protest involved blocking roads and railways, and stone-pelting. The Uttarakhand government formed a committee following a Supreme Court order to survey reserved forest land.

In Rishikesh, police detained six individuals and booked 700 more as protests against a forest land survey turned violent, with demonstrators blocking roads and railway lines. Originally triggered by a Supreme Court directive, the survey faced local backlash involving stone-pelting against police and administrative officials.

The altercation saw two police officers injured, while video evidence pointed to serious offenses allegedly committed against a forest officer. Following the disturbance, Dehradun's Senior Superintendent of Police intervened, successfully negotiating with protestors to clear the barricades, allowing for the resumption of traffic.

Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal visited the tumultuous area, promising legal aid to affected locals. He criticized the state government for intimidating residents and urged the regularization of land where these communities reside.

(With inputs from agencies.)