Pune: Members of the transgender community on Wednesday staged a protest here against BJP MLA Nitesh Rane over a derogatory word he allegedly used while referring to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The protesters sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Rane.
“Rane used gender, which is our social identity, as a slur in a social media post while criticizing Uddhav Thackeray. We have been demanding the registration of an offense against Rane for his post,” said a member of the community.
They were sitting outside the Bundgarden police station since Tuesday night seeking an FIR against Rane but on Wednesday the police, instead of acting on their demand, forced them to leave, they alleged.
Smartana Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II), said the police initially asked the protesters to make way for a `palkhi’ (religious procession).
“But after the palkhi passed through, they started blocking the road, which forced us to detain them,” she claimed.
Of 20 to 25 protesters, only three were from the transgender community and others were from a political organization, the DCP said.
An officer of the Bundgarden police station said the protesters’ application against the MLA will be forwarded to senior officials in Mumbai.
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