Scores of North-Eastern students and as well as students from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University tried to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday evening demanding a stringent anti-racial law to be passed in Parliament.
The protesters managed to reach Vijay Chowk but were then pushed back by the Delhi Police. The protesters demanded an equal treatment to the North-East people and also condemned the fatal attack on Nido Tania. As the protesters persisted on marching towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan, they broke the first barricade erected by the security agencies and then police resorted to force to disperse them off the area.
The police and security agencies were already on an alert as a VVIP route was declared in the area. Policemen chased the protesters till Central Secretariat Metro Station from where around 50 to 60 demonstrators were detained and taken to Parliament Street Police Station in two buses.
Accidentally, two MPs also sat in the bus, after reaching the police station they identified themselves and were let-off immediately. Some of the protesters were also injured amid the chaos and mild lathi-charge. later, a group of protesters also staged a protest outside the police station demanding their friends to be let off. Those detained were let off by the night.
“We have to physically evict them. During the ruckus those injured were provided first aid treatment. They have violated Section 144 (which remains imposed in the area), we will see what legal action can be taken in this regard,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) SBS Tyagi.
The protesters had in the afternoon also tried to march towards the Parliament but were stopped near Parliament street police station as barricades were already installed there. They were then moved towards Jantar Mantar.
Meanwhile, the parents of deceased Nido Tania met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who said he associated himself with their grief and that “severest punishment” should be given to those guilty of the “most shameful act”.