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#SaveAarey: Students protest outside Big B's house

A group of students from colleges and schools staged protests outside megastar Amitabh Bachchan's residence over his tweet supporting Mumbai metro project.

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Published : Sep 19, 2019, 7:41 PM IST

Mumbai: After Aarey activists, a group of students staged protests against the megastar outside his residence on Thursday.

According to the police, around 22 students were detained when they crouched on a road near Bachchan's bungalow in suburban Juhu and engaged in slogan shouting.

The students staged protests after Big B's tweet hailing Mumbai metro at a time when people are protesting against the cutting of trees in Aarey forest for metro construction.

Taking Bachchan's tweet as support towards the proposed Metro project which calls to cut down 2,700 trees in Aarey Colony, many activists slammed the iconic figure for setting a bad example.

READ | Big B supports Mumbai Metro, Aarey activists raise protests

According to a senior inspector from the Juhu police station Pandrinath Vahwal, "The students, under the banner of the Vidhyarthi Bharatiya Sanghatna, landed outside Bachchan's Pratiksha bungalow holding banners and placards."

Their banners and placards had messages calling for saving Aarey Colony and opposing the proposed hacking of trees in the sprawling green belt in the suburbs.

Initially, the students, studying in schools and colleges in Mumbai and adjoining areas, were protesting silently, but later they squatted on a nearby road and started shouting slogans, he said.

"Police detained 22 students and after taking their details we will release them," the inspector said.

A group of activists opposing the proposed felling of trees in Aarey Colony had staged a silent protest at the same spot in Juhu on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Amitabh wrote, "Friend of mine had a medical emergency, decided to take METRO instead of his car. Came back very impressed said was faster, convenient and most efficient. Solution for pollution. Grow more trees, I did in my garden. Have you?"

However, environmental activist Zoru Bhathena, who has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the civic body's approval for felling of the trees, asked Big B to visit Aarey to understand the ground reality and also hit out at the Metro project authorities.

With inputs from PTI.

Students protest outside Big B's house

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