22 people arrested after India Gate protest over worsening Delhi air quality.
Protesters reportedly assaulted police and used pepper spray during scuffle.
DCCCA criticises authorities for “cosmetic measures” amid severe pollution levels.
At least 22 people were arrested in Delhi on Monday after a protest over worsening air pollution at India Gate escalated into a scuffle with police, officials said.
According to PTI, the demonstrators obstructed police personnel, assaulted them, and blocked traffic on the C-Hexagon, leading to injuries among law enforcement officers. Several of those injured were taken to RML Hospital for treatment, the official added.
Two separate FIRs were registered, one each at Sansad Marg and Kartavya Path police stations, under various sections of the BNS, including outraging the modesty of women, PTI reported.
“The situation then turned into a scuffle, and some protesters used pepper spray on our personnel, which is unusual and rare,” a senior police officer said. He added that the arrested protesters were produced before the court on Monday.
The officer noted that India Gate is not a designated protest site, explaining that Jantar Mantar is the approved area for demonstrations with prior 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,” he said.
He further described the confrontation: “Many police personnel sustained injuries during the scuffle. When police teams asked the protesters to leave, they misbehaved, assaulted police personnel, and some even used pepper spray.”
On slogans reportedly raised in support of Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, the officer said, “We are probing the matter from all angles.”
The Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air (DCCCA) issued a statement condemning the government’s handling of pollution, saying the city’s deteriorating air quality poses a “serious risk” to public health. The group criticised authorities for relying on “cosmetic measures” such as water sprinklers, cloud seeding, and spraying near Air Quality Index (AQI) stations, instead of implementing long-term solutions. According to PTI, the committee also noted that air quality has consistently remained in the “severe” category.
(With inputs from PTI)
