Rhiya Ahir is a model, actor, and theatre artist from Mumbai. (Photo: IG/ʀʜɪʏᴀ ᴇᴋᴏᴜꜱɪʏᴀ)
Mumbai: The protest by Cockroach Janta Party is not just restricted to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar now. What started as a protest against irregularities in NEET exams has spread beyond the national capital, with protests being held in other cities too. One of the most viral moments on social media has come from Mumbai, where a 27-year-old model stood in front of a police van that had carried away protestors. Her act of defiance caught the attention of the nation and she is being hailed as the new face of the protest.
The woman’s name is Rhiya Ahir. She is a 27-year-old model, actor, and theatre artist from Mumbai. She has close to one lakh followers on Instagram. She has also featured in several music videos. Her latest music video was for the song Dilbara. Apart from being a model, she has also been associated with Hindi theatre for 13 years.
Last year, she also started a venture called Riyasat that connects small artisans to buyers. The idea came after the row over Prada’s Kolhapuri chappal design.
Ahir said she was walking from Kohinoor square in Dadar towards Shivaji park when she saw a Mumbai Police van carrying detained protesters and rushed towards them because she believed they were being carried away for no reason.
“I couldn’t help myself. Their chants pulled me towards them. They were taking them away, and I couldn’t let that happen,” she said.
ALSO READ: CJP Calls For Nationwide Protest: Issues SOP And Guidelines
She claimed police told her that the detained protesters would be released after being travelled for some distance but she just didn’t believe them.
“They didn’t say anything. They knew they were wrong,” she claimed.
'I Was Shaking On The Inside'
Ahir can be seen standing in front of the police van in the pouring rain in several videos from the protest and refusing to budge. However, when asked later, she said she was nervous throughout the confrontation.
"When I faced them, inside I was shivering," she said, adding, despite her fear, she believed she was doing the right thing.
She further claimed that the police driver allegedly tried to scare her by inching the van forward, but she stood her ground until the detained protesters were released.
In the now-viral video, Ahir, dressed in a hoodie and a cap, can be seen blocking the path of a moving police van near Shivaji Park as bystanders cheered and raised slogans.
When asked about the incident by reporters later, she said: "The police aren't doing their job responsibly. If they will not be responsible, then we will be responsible for our citizens."
Ahir, while admitting she is not a student, said she decided to join the protest as she believed action taken against the protesters was unjust.
She also condemned the police action at the recent CJP protest in Delhi, where police allegedly used tear gas shells and lathis to disperse scores of protesters who were demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the recent NEET examinations.
In a video shared before the protest, Ahir spoke about the precautions she had taken. Showing the hat she was wearing, she joked, "This is a hat. If I get a stick on my head, you protect me from that."
She also commented on peaceful demonstrations, saying, "Holding a peaceful rally to summon the Prime Minister is like... What are you living in, 1947? If you want to summon the Prime Minister, you hold a big fat Indian wedding."
Ahir said she never expected to become the face of the demonstrations and insisted that she acted purely on instinct after seeing women and other protesters being taken away by the police.
