Hundreds of Indian Youth Congress activists on Monday were detained by police when they tried to march towards the BJP Headquarters, protesting against the Centre’s decision to change the land Acquisition Act. The protesters marched from Youth Congress HQs towards BJP office at Ashoka Road where police had set up barricades.
The protest, meanwhile, resulted in two-hour-long traffic jam in New Delhi area, which continued till the Delhi Police intervened.
As they tried to break the barricades, police resorted to mild lathicharge. They were later detained and taken to the Parliament Street police station in two buses. “We have detained around 200 protesters as they protested without permission and tried to break barricades,” said a senior police official.
The activists had assembled at the Youth Congress office here to attend an event where the newly-appointed chief of the Youth Congress Amrinder Singh Raja Brar took over. Earlier, in his address, Brar had asked the assembled supporters to rally to the BJP office in Ashoka Road to protest against the proposed Ordinance.
The Ordinance was cleared by Union Cabinet on December 29 and had got presidential assent on December 31. The ordinance makes significant changes in the land Acquisition Act including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for five areas — industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.