High drama was witnessed at Delhi’s India Gate on Sunday as the protest over the rising pollution in the national capital saw use of chilli and pepper spray, posters of top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter last week, and even slogans in his support, said police.
Delhi Police have registered first information reports (FIR) in two police stations and have arrested 22 people so far.
DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla told ANI, “A protest was held evening at C Hexagon, India Gate, over pollution on Sunday evening…The protesters were seen holding posters of Maoist commander Madvi Hidma… When they tried to block the road, the police tried to remove them, but they sprayed pepper spray on the police personnel and tried to attack them. The police are now taking legal action against them."
“For the first time, we encountered the use of chilli spray against police personnel. A few of our officers were sprayed in the eyes and are currently receiving treatment at RML Hospital. Legal action is being taken in this regard," he said, adding, “We were requesting them to move as many ambulances and medical personnel were waiting behind them and required emergency access…We removed them from the C-Hexagon to avoid disrupting traffic. During the removal, several protesters scuffled with the police, and many of our personnel were injured."
At Kartavya Path Police Station, six men have been arrested under sections 74, 79, 115(2), 132, 221, 223, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The second FIR has been registered at Sansad Marg Police Station, in which other protesters have been arrested. They have been booked under BNS sections 223A, 132, 221, 121A, 126(2), and 3(5). According to Delhi police, the FIR mentions the use of chilli spray on police personnel, obstruction of official work and blocking the road.
On November 9, too, people had also staged a protest at the same spot, demanding that the government implement policies to curb air pollution in the National Capital
Madvi Hidma, who masterminded several attacks over the last two decades, was killed in an encounter in Andhra on Tuesday, a breakthrough the Chhattisgarh Police described as the “last nail in the coffin" of insurgency.
Security forces gunned down Hidma, 51, his wife Madkam Raje, and four others in the Maredumilli forest in Alluri Sitaramaraju district.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai called the killing of Hidma, along with five other Naxalites, in a joint operation by security forces along the Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border a “decisive achievement" in the fight against Left Wing Extremism.
Hidma orchestrated numerous brutal attacks, including the 2013 Jhiram Valley attack, targeted killings, and large-scale ambushes, posing a persistent threat to peace and stability across the Dandakaranya region, Sai said.
A thick layer of haze engulfed the national capital on Monday morning as the average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 396 at 7 am, falling under the ‘very poor’ category despite the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-III in effect across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the CPCB, the Ghazipur area recorded an AQI of 441. AQI of Anand Vihar stood at 440 on Monday morning, which falls under the ‘Severe’ pollution category. A layer of toxic smog blanketed the city around India Gate this morning. Bawana recorded an AQI of 434 at 7 am, placing it in the ‘severe’ category. In contrast, NSIT Dwarka recorded an AQI of 322, according to the data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Visuals around AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital this morning showed a layer of toxic smog engulfing the area. Visuals around ITO, Mayur Vihar and Akshardham Temple also depicted similar pollution levels.
The air quality is likely to be in the very poor category from November 23 to November 26 as per the Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) forecast.
