New Delhi: Former IIT Professor and activist V.K. Tripathi was stopped by the Maharashtra police in Dharavi on Saturday (September 27) as he was distributing pamphlets carrying message of non-violence and solidarity with Gaza.A group of 22 cops stopped Tripathi at the T junction, seized his bundle of leaflets and told him that he cannot distribute pamphlets without prior permission. He was later taken to the Dharavi police station, reported Mumbai Mirror.“He was not detained. We only wanted to explain to him that he cannot hand out pamphlets on sensitive issues. It might not be a nuisance in itself, but it can spark arguments or even clashes if someone opposes the idea. Mr Tripathi is a senior citizen, he was alone, and it was risky. Without orders, we cannot allow such activity,” said senior inspector Raju Bidkar.Tripathi is known for his efforts to counter communal hate with dialogue, leaflets and persistence. He has held fasts in Rajghat, and is often seen distributing pamphlets about the cause in different cities to the public, appealing for communal harmony and saying that silence in the face of violence is complicity.“I am not blaming or speaking ill of any community. I hold both Hamas and Israel equally responsible for the violence. My concern is how humanity is suffering on both sides. Neither my words nor the pamphlet singled out any religion or group. It was shocking that I was stopped from distributing them,” Tripathi, who had arrived in Mumbai on Saturday morning, told Mumbai Mirror.Tripathi was asked to wait at the police station for nearly an hour before he was allowed to leave with a written notice. After he left the police station, some police personnel tailed him on a motorcycle.“I am disappointed, not because I came all the way from Delhi and was stopped from doing what I set out to do, but because a person is not allowed to express himself even when doing so mildly and peacefully. I fail to understand what was wrong. There was nothing dangerous or controversial in what I was saying, nor in the leaflets … they were meant for everyone. None of the people I approached had any objection or anger; it was only the police who intervened. Still, I have no regrets, no qualms. I will continue to do what I have to,” said Tripathi.