The People Are At The Gate Public Anger Against The Police And An Apathetic Ruling Class Rips Through The Heart Of The Nation’s Capital 65 Protesters, 78 Cops Injured In Repeated Clashes

The People Are At The Gate

Public Anger Against The Police And An Apathetic Ruling Class Rips Through The Heart Of The Nation’s Capital
65 Protesters, 78 Cops Injured In Repeated Clashes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A month before the Republic turns up at India Gate, with all its pomp and glory, people incensed by its attempt to silence their voice marched all over the place, making a bonfire of the wooden barricades that keep them off Rajpath. The mild ones who advocated peace and didn’t wish to stoke the fire were soon running for cover as the heavy hand of the state descended on them with round after round of tear gas and lathicharges.
    Soon, India Gate was resembling a battleground with fires burning here and there, water on the ground and smoke in the air. But blood and bruises didn’t deter the protesters and some of them were back at India Gate by nightfall, setting the stage for another day of uncertainty and confrontation on Monday.Delhi Metro announced the shutting down of nine busy stations in the centre of the city including Connaught Place.
    What began as a peaceful protest on a misty Sunday morning gathered storm as the day progressed, ending with a massive clean-up operation by Delhi Police with tear gas, water cannons and lathicharge. There was chaos, anger and confusion as around 10,000 protesters and several cops clashed repeatedly. Police lathicharged the crowd at least 10 times, injuring 65 people (many more didn’t report at hospitals). And finally, around 5.30pm, they just went berserk – the policemen and the Rapid Action Force rained lathi blows on everyone coming in their way, including protesters, mediapersons and even families out for a walk.
    At least 250 tear gas shells were lobbed and water cannons used as cops chased the protesters all the way from India Gate to ITO, Mandi House and Pragati Maidan. Delhi Police officers said the protest, which was peaceful on Saturday, had been hijacked by some political elements and hooligans who threw stones at regular intervals.
India unites in anger
    What began as another round of non-violent protest at the India Gate on Sunday, gathered storm as the day progressed and ended with Delhi’s iconic central vista turning into a battleground. In the rest of the country as well, it was a day of defiance. Protesters spilled out on streets in cities from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam, Mumbai to Bangalore and from Lucknow to Chennai to vent their anger and demand justice for the Delhi gang-rape victim whose condition remained critical. In Imphal, the police fired at crowds protesting against the molestation of a Manipuri actress in which TV journalist Thangjam Nanao Singh was killed, leading to a fresh wave of protests in the Northeastern city. P9 Sonia, Rahul meet protesters
    As protests over the gang-rape incident turned violent, Congress on Sunday appealed for calm with party president Sonia Gandhi assuring a group of youths that all steps will be taken to fast-track the case so that the assailants get punishment. Rahul Gandhi is reported to have told the group that decisions cannot be driven by emotions and that they should be taken in a “rational” manner. Sonia and Rahul had over 90 minute-long meeting with a group of protesters at her 10 Janpath residence during which minister of state for home affairs R P N Singh and Congress spokesperson Renuka Chaudhury were also present. P9 Injured Delhi constable critical
New Delhi: Around 78 policemen were injured, including one constable identified as Subhash Tomar who is reported to be critical. Officials said he was beaten up by the violent protesters and is now on ventilator support.
    The drama began early in the morning as the protesters began to assemble around 8am. The cops imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC in all of New Delhi area and tried sending the protesters to Jantar Mantar and Ramlila Maidan by dragging and pushing them into buses. However, many protesters successfully resisted this and the crowd steadily swelled. Parallel protests took place at 10 Janpath and Jantar Mantar. Even as Metro stations were closed down and barricades put up, people continued to pour into India Gate by walking long distances.
    The cops had blocked all access routes early in the morning but there was no stopping the people. Unable to deal with a growing crowd that repeatedly made attempts to breach security, the cops fired tear gas and lathicharged the protesters repeatedly even as the agitators vandalised public property. The protesters were also lathicharged at Jantar Mantar, Rail Bhawan and Mansingh Road.
    While a group of JNU students marched into India Gate from Nizamuddin around 11am, other groups made their way in from Ashoka Road. A large group of protesters blocked all traffic on the India Gate C-hexagon near Hyderabad House until cops removed them. Some rowdy elements in this group jumped on top of a police vehicle, breaking the windows and hammering the bonnet with sticks, even as others pleaded with them to stop, horrified. Some protesters gheraoed MP Sandeep Dikshit’s car and chased him before he was escorted into the barricaded area of Rajpath.
    A few protesters from the youth wing of left parties also tried making their way to Rashtrapati Bhavan through Rafi Marg. Around 200 youngsters, along with Brinda Karat, were forcefully pushed back near Rail Bhavan when the cops used their lathis and sprayed water to disperse the protesters around 12.30pm. But this did not deter the crowds. Women rights group like National Federation of India Women tried yet again to breach security leading to a second lathicharge within an hour.