Actor Manoj Tiwari injured in Ramlila crackdown

MUMBAI: Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari was one of the many who were injured in the fracas that took place at the Ramlila Maidan on Saturday night.

Tiwari who returned to Mumbai on Sunday evening said, "I was sleeping in the pandal when I was woken up by a policeman's boots that stamped on me."

"I was driven out by the police with lathis. I must've ran at least 3-4 km to save my life," said Tiwari, who is back in Mumbai now. "Although my injuries are not noticeable enough, my body is aching because of the lathis I got from the police," he added.

Manoj Tiwari spent the whole of Saturday with Baba Ramdev. The actor said, "I am not a Ramdev follower but I decided to support the Baba as he is fighting against corruption."

Tiwari is upset about the fact that the police manhandled men and women who were sleeping in the pandal. "I really don't know if there were permission issues but the police could've done the eviction during the day instead of night. The use of tear-gas also choked many people," he said.