Mumbai, Dec 4 (PTI) A man was detained on Monday after he allegedly tried to set himself on fire while BJP leader Ashish Shelar was addressing a gathering in Khar in the western part of Mumbai, a police official said.

The man, identified as Irfan Pindara, is a resident of New Hanuman Nagar, and was part of a mob protesting against a Slum Rehabilitation Authority project in the area, the official said.

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"When Shelar arrived there to support the protesters, Pindara tried to set himself on fire after pouring kerosene on his body. Since the protest had permission from authorities, police personnel were posted there and they managed to stop Pindara before he could harm himself," the Khar police station official said.

He was detained and further probe is underway, the official added.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)