Alwar: Students Held Ahead of Amit Shah Visit Over Black-Flag Protest Plan

In the run-up to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's public meeting in Alwar on Sunday, the Rajasthan Police detained several students on Saturday on suspicion of planning an unauthorised protest. The detentions took place near RR College, where the students had reportedly gathered to finalise their demonstration plans. According to police sources, the group intended to show black flags during Mr. Shah's visit and raise a charter of demands.

The planned protest was to highlight the demand for restoration of student union elections in the state, the alleged lathicharge on students at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, poor road conditions in the district, and the alleged Matsya scam. Police said the detentions were a preventive measure to ensure law and order and to avoid any disruption of the official programme. The students, however, have not yet been able to present their case publicly, as they were taken into custody before the protest could materialise.

The issues raised by the students are not new. Student union elections in Rajasthan have remained suspended for a considerable period, with student bodies repeatedly calling for their revival to ensure democratic representation in campuses. The Jantar Mantar lathicharge refers to a reported action by the Delhi Police against student protesters, which drew criticism from several quarters. The alleged Matsya scam pertains to an alleged financial irregularity in the state's fisheries cooperative federation; it has been a recurrent theme in Rajasthan's politics, with the opposition accusing the government of shielding the guilty.

The use of preventive detention before political visits has often been a subject of debate. While administration argues that such steps are essential for security, civil liberties groups have maintained that they can be misused to suppress legitimate dissent. They point out that the right to peaceful protest is a constitutional right, subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order.

Mr. Shah, who is accompanied by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, is scheduled to address a public meeting at Vijay Nagar Ground in Alwar later on Sunday. He is expected to virtually inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for 933 development projects worth ₹6,279 crore across Rajasthan. Of these, 151 projects worth ₹783 crore pertain to Alwar district.

Among the key initiatives, the foundation stone will be laid for a new ₹200-crore dairy plant of the Rajasthan State Cooperative Dairy Federation (Saras). A medical college is also set to be inaugurated in Alwar, which is expected to enhance healthcare education in the region. These projects are part of the central and state governments' efforts to boost infrastructure and public services.

The programme will also feature the state-level Mukhyamantri Rojgar Utsav, an employment event at which appointment letters will be distributed to 10,548 newly recruited personnel. Of these, 461 are from Alwar district. The event is intended to showcase the government's commitment to providing jobs to the youth.

Meanwhile, district authorities have appealed to the public to cooperate with security arrangements and maintain peace during the Union Minister's visit. The police have not officially disclosed the number of students detained or the legal basis for their detention. Further details are awaited.