Delhi protests spread to multiple locations on Saturday after heavy police deployment, barricading and detentions prevented youth organisations from gathering at Jantar Mantar, while central Delhi saw closures of metro stations, schools, colleges and markets.
The Hindu reported that police and paramilitary personnel sealed parts of central Delhi and announced through loudspeakers that restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were in force. Citizens were instructed to follow police directions and maintain law and order.
Hundreds of protesters who attempted to reach Jantar Mantar were stopped, detained and taken in buses to locations on the city’s outskirts. Larger groups of between 100 and 200 people gathered under the banners of different youth organisations, while smaller groups, including women and children, attempted to move towards the planned protest site.
Protesters and police clashed near Safdarjung flyover when people tried to stop a bus carrying detainees, including All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora. Some protesters stood or sat in front of the bus and were pushed away by police personnel, who also used batons, according to the report.
A 15-year-old protester who had travelled from Goa with her younger brother and father alleged that police personnel pulled protesters by their hands and legs and manhandled them during the detentions. Police officers said that some personnel also suffered injuries to their arms and legs while detaining protesters.
At around 1 p.m., members of the Disha Students’ Organisation, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India organised a gathering at Raj Ghat. More than 150 people attended, and protesters alleged that police used excessive force. One protester, Chiranshu, said he was thrown onto the pavement and that another protester, identified as Aragya, suffered a twisted leg and was admitted to a private hospital in Rohini.
The detained protesters were taken to Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana, more than 30 km from Jantar Mantar. There, they continued their protest, sang songs and discussed alleged irregularities by the Election Commission of India. Members of the Students’ Federation of India also held a public lecture on “India under undeclared Emergency” at the Bawana detention centre. The lecture was addressed by R. Gopinath, a retired professor from Jamia Millia Islamia, who was also detained.
In Nangloi, Rajya Sabha member A.A. Rahim announced “Jantar Mantar 2.0”, sang the national anthem with protesters and began a hunger strike. He demanded action against Inspector Pawan Tomar over alleged misbehaviour with women students, an apology and the return of phones and bags that protesters said had been taken by the police.
At least 12 people, including Indian Youth Congress members and two advocates, were detained from Raisina Road and had not been released until late Saturday night, according to The Hindu. UPSC aspirants and an autorickshaw driver who said they were not participating in the protest were also detained from the area. The report did not provide details of the police order’s duration or the timeline for reopening the affected public facilities.
