Four physically challenged persons were on Tuesday detained by the police when they arrived at the office of the Election Commission to file nominations for the Lok Sabha elections 2019.
The four were part of a group of physically challenged persons, or divyangs, who want to contest the upcoming elections from the Meerut Lok Sabha seat.
“We detained four people as they were trying to make a video which could have created rumours,” said Circle Officer Civil Lines Hari Mohan, adding that the crowd was asked to disperse as it was a violation of Section 144 which is currently in place.
However, four others managed to get their nomination forms filed from Meerut seat.
Today was the second consecutive day when the divyangs appeared before the officials for filing nomination.
On Monday, more than 200 physically challenged persons reached the election office asking the staff on duty for nomination forms taking the officials by surprise.
The Divyangs, who were accompanied by university students and other supporters, were asked to leave but they persisted with their demand which they said was their constitutional right.
Finally, 43 of the physically disabled were given the forms after a ruckus that lasted four hours.
Devendra Hoon, one of the members of the group, said that the filing of nominations by the physically challenged will continue.
“We plan to file 2000 such nominations,” Hoon said, adding that it is a moment of the Divyangs to bring about a revolutionary change in the political system of the country.
He said that Meerut has been chosen as it is the land where the first war of independence was fought in 1857.
Hoon said that the physically challenged want to bring about a change in the political system.
“NOTA started in 2007 but people feel that this is no longer an effective tool to bring about a change in the political system of the country,” he said.
“Hence six months ago a campaign on social media with the hashtag #1857 dobara was started,” he said adding that it received wide support.
Hoon said that the interests of the physically challenged have been ignored by political parties.
Gulzar Saifi, whose short film The Final Inch was nominated for the Oscars, is also a part of the movement.
Saifi, who lost his legs due to polio, feels that he is no less than a normal person.
He is educated and did his M.Phil from CCS University.
“But a lot has to be done for others,” he said while extending his support to the movement.