Rhiya Ahir blasts trolls saying it was scripted that she stopped police van to free protestors: Mat kariye mujhe support
Rhiya Ahir went viral on the internet after attending the protests in Mumbai. The young model was seen in a grey hoodie standing firmly with her arms spread out to block a police van. It has emerged as one of the most striking images from Mumbai’s protests supporting the Cockroach Janta Party‘s agitation over the NEET paper leak.
What Rhiya said
On Friday, Rhiya took to her Instagram account to thank everyone who showered her with love in the past 24 hours with kind messages of support. She also noted that many questioned her actions and called it staged. In response, Riya shared that she was there at Shivaji Park a day before too, when several other protestors were being detained by the police. She was seen asking a female officer to release the students.
In the video she said, “It is not something that I am making up. It has actually happened. But I haven’t posted it anywhere and I did not take the credit for it. Uske baad jo hua parso woh toh sabko pata hi hain (Everyone saw what happened). Jo bhi hua (What happened) it is not something that I even thought of. To be honest I was just there to support our rights and our voice has to be heard. We will scream so loud that the government have to hear no matter how hard they try to avoid us.”
She added, “People are saying I am posing… bohot gandi tareeke se woh bol rahe hain (It is unfortunate how people are saying) that I am posing in front of the bus. Meri knee mein lagi hui thi yaar main khadi nahi ho paa rahi thi phir bhi main waha par khadi thi (I was hurt in the knee and could not stand but still did). If you have so much guts to question me and my patriotism towards my country and why I was there… mere toh koi friends bhi nahi the bus mein, log bol rahe hain bus bhi khali thi, so agar aap itna kuch bol sakte hain apna dimaag use karke toh please apna dimaag use kariye aur jo students he jo affect hue hain unke liye aawaz baniye, unhe support kariye (They were not my friends. People are saying that the bus was empty, why don’t you spend your energy in supporting the students). Mat kariye mujhe support (Don’t support me). I don’t want your support, your dialogue also.”
Who is Rhiya Ahir?
Rhiya Ahir is a 27-year-old model who found herself at the centre of the protest after intervening when she saw protesters being taken away by the police. She said she believed the detainees were being removed unnecessarily and immediately rushed towards the vehicle.
Ahir has a strong presence on Instagram, with over one lakh followers, and has also appeared in music videos. Her most recent appearance was in the video song ‘Dilbara’. She was walking from Kohinoor Square in Dadar towards Shivaji Park when she noticed the police van filled with detainees, as per an earlier HT report.
CJP protest in Mumbai
Mumbai Police have filed 13 FIRs since July 18 over the ongoing protests, citing charges including unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders. Around 400 people have been booked in connection with the cases, news agency PTI reported.
Reportedly, demonstrations were held at multiple locations, including Shivaji Park, Chaityabhoomi, Chembur and Shiv Sena Bhavan, despite no official permission being granted for the gatherings.
The police have also enforced prohibitory restrictions across Mumbai from July 23 to August 6, preventing gatherings of five or more people in public areas.
