22 arrested for assault, using 'pepper spray' on Delhi Police during air pollution protest
New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested at least 22 people on charges of obstructing its personnel and assaulting them, besides blocking the road during a protest at the India Gate over rising air pollution levels in the national capital, an official said on Monday.
The police have registered two different FIRs, one at the Sansad Marg Police Station, another at the Kartavya Path Police Station, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including outraging the modesty of women.
On Sunday, the situation at the protest escalated as some demonstrators allegedly used pepper spray on police personnel while being removed from the scene and were taken to Parliament Street Police Station, where they were involved in another scuffle with the escorting officers, the official added.
"The situation then turned into a scuffle, and some protesters used pepper spray on our personnel, which is unusual and rare," the officer said, adding that so far, police have arrested at least 22 protesters.
"India Gate is not a designated protest site. The protesters were asked to leave. Jantar Mantar is the designated protest site, and anyone can demonstrate there after obtaining permission. On Sunday, the protesters blocked the C-Hexagon after jumping police barricades. They sat on the road for over an hour, and even people stuck in the traffic jam were requesting them to clear the way," the police officer said.
He added that when police teams asked the protesters to leave, they misbehaved, assaulted police personnel, and some even used pepper spray.
"Many police personnel sustained injuries during the scuffle and were rushed to RML Hospital for treatment. We are investigating the entire matter and checking CCTV footage to identify everyone involved," the officer said.
When asked about slogans allegedly raised in support of Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, the officer said they are probing the matter from all angles.
The police have registered two different FIRs against the protestors. The first FIR has been registered under sections 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (part of the section on contempt of the lawful authority of public servants), 221 (contempt of the lawful authority of public servants) and 223 (disobedience to a lawful order from a public servant) of the BNS at Kartavya Path Police Station. Under this, six people have been arrested.
The second FIR has been registered under sections 223A (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant, with punishment depending on the severity of the consequences), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 221 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences against the State), 126(2) and (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the BNS at Parliament Street Police station.
The Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air, in a statement, said the city's worsening air quality has become a "serious risk" to public health and alleged that authorities have failed to address the root causes of pollution.
It further alleged that air quality has remained in the "severe" category, while the government relies on "cosmetic measures" such as water sprinklers, cloud seeding and spraying near Air Quality Index (AQI) stations instead of finding long-term solutions to tackle the issue.
Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Monday sent to three days' judicial custody to 17 people arrested on charges of obstructing police personnel and assaulting them, besides blocking the road during a protest at the India Gate over rising air pollution levels in the national capital.
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Priyanka Gandhi visited Zubeen Garg's cremation ground for politics: Himanta
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of doing politics over the death of Zubeen Garg, two days after her visit to the singer’s cremation ground.
Speaking to reporters at BJP state headquarters here, Sarma announced that he will not visit Garg's cremation ground 'Zubeen Khetra' till the Assembly elections are over.
"'Zubeen Khetra' should not be used for political purposes. Priyanka Gandhi came to Assam for political purposes and spent just two minutes at the cremation ground," he said.
Stating that no one should visit 'Zubeen Khetra' when they come for political purposes, Sarma said that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah have not been there despite visiting the state multiple times over the last three months.
"Why didn't Priyanka Gandhi visit Swahid Smarak or Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s memorial? The Congress is openly doing politics over Zubeen Garg. They made people emotional and sought votes," he alleged.
On Friday, Vadra visited Garg's cremation ground and said the iconic musician was the "voice of Assam's soul" and he is "above politics".
The Congress leader, who was on a two-day trip to the state to shortlist party candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls, made an unscheduled visit to 'Zubeen Khetra' at Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati without any media presence.
The celebrated singer died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea. He had gone to the island nation to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).
The CM further claimed that around 12,000 BJP workers donated blood on Zubeen Garg's birthday in November last year.
"Whose value is more -- Priyanka Gandhi who spent two minutes or me who arranged 12,000 blood donors? People are using Garg's name and doing politics," he added.
Sarma pointed out that it was he who had selected the location to make 'Zubeen Khetra' and arranged everything.
"If Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have courage, let them go to Swahid Smarak and confess that their grandmother and father had committed sins during Assam Agitation," he added.
A 'Swahid Smarak', the martyrs memorial, was inaugurated in December last year in the state capital in memory of more than 850 people from the Assamese community who had died during the six-year long Assam Agitation.
"I will not go to Zubeen Khetra till the elections are over. I feel no candidate should visit it if they are contesting elections," Sarma said.
Talking about public demand to set up a fast-track court for speedy trial of Garg's death, the CM claimed that a "conspiracy" is happening in that aspect.
"The judge, in whose court the case is going on at present, has rejected three bail petitions of the accused. Seeing this, two others withdrew their bail applications," he added.
Sarma claimed that a preparation is going on to take away the case from this judge to help the accused.
"This is a design of a particular news channel, a particular newspaper and Congress to change the judge, give bails to the accused before election and blame the BJP," he added.
"It is just politics. There is a conspiracy to give bail and put BJP in awkward position," he said.
Sarma said the Assam Cabinet on February 26 will take a decision whether the case should be handed over to a fast-track court.
"We may transfer it, but we will not be responsible for the consequences of the case then," he added.
Garima Saikia Garg, wife of Zubeen Garg, and Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar on February 16 had expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of the case being heard by the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court.
With several petitions filed before the court on different aspects by the accused, the entire process has been delayed as the trial is yet to begin, Kamar had said.
NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, his two band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, his cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, and his PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya are in jail as accused in the case.
