The Noida police on Monday picked up RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha mistaking him for a Dalit protestor from Noida’s Film City.

The Dalit protests turned violent at several places across the country as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to private and public properties, including police posts, during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit groups against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.

In Noida, the police team was, reportedly, on the lookout for suspects in vandalism cases during the protests in parts of Gautam Buddha Nagar district.

In a case of mistaken identity, the police took Sinha after mistaking him for a Dalit protester. He was released and set free to go as soon as the police realised their mistake.

Sinha took to Twitter and posted that he was outside the office of a news organisation in Noida, Sector 16A, when he was picked up by the police. He alleged that the team was led by SHO Anil Kumar. The police allowed him to walk free only after moving 500 metres as they clarified that they mistook him for a protester.

नॉएडा पुलिस @CNNnews18 studio के गेट sho अनिल कुमार शाही के नेतृत्व में ज़बरन पुलिस गाड़ी में बैठाकर ले गयी .उनका व्यवहार अशोभनिया था .धमकी भरा था .भीड़ जुटने पर 500 मीटर दूर जाकर छोड़ा.बाद में सफ़ाई दी मुझे दलित ऐक्टिविस्ट समझ बैठे @myogiadityanath @narendramodi

— Prof Rakesh Sinha (@RakeshSinha01) April 2, 2018

In Uttar Pradesh, thousands of protesters staged demonstrations and pelted stones at buses following which police teams were formed to nab the culprits.

At least nine persons were killed and hundreds were left injured on Monday in violence reported from several states.

According to reports, thousands were detained following widespread incidents of arson, firing and vandalism across over ten states, several of them being BJP-ruled including Madhya Pradesh where at least six persons died during the protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Two persons died in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan, according to officials there. Other states hit with violence included Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. Those arrested included a former BSP MLA in UP.