Delhi Police arrest 15 protesters after agitation over air pollution turns violent at India Gate

Delhi pollution protest

The Delhi Police on Monday arrested 15 protesters for allegedly attacking government officials on duty, a day after demonstrators campaigning against toxic air were accused of using chilli spray on personnel deployed at India Gate.

According to a report by News18, officials said the situation escalated into a physical confrontation, leaving several officers injured and leading to swift legal action for assaulting government staff performing their duties.

The protest had been organised by the Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air to draw attention to the deteriorating air quality in the national capital.

The group claimed that Delhi’s air has remained in the “severe" category and accused authorities of relying on what they described as “cosmetic measures," such as water sprinklers, cloud seeding and spraying near Air Quality Index (AQI) stations, instead of implementing meaningful long-term solutions.

However, some protestors were heard shouting “Long Live Hidma" (“Hidma amar rahe") slogans.

Madvi Hidma was one of India’s most notorious Maoist leaders, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitaramaraju district on November 18. He earned a bounty of Rs 1 crore.

News agency PTI quoted police officials as saying that the demonstrators had gathered near the C-Hexagon stretch and were repeatedly advised to move because their presence was blocking the route for ambulances and medical staff.

Officers said they tried to explain to the group that emergency vehicles were stuck due to the protest, but the participants allegedly refused to clear the way.

The situation deteriorated when the protesters broke through barricades, moved onto the road and sat down, leading police to attempt their removal.

A senior police officer told PTI that during this confrontation, several protesters used chilli powder and pepper spray on personnel.

“The situation then turned into a scuffle, and some protesters used chilli powder on our personnel, which is unusual and rare," the officer said, adding that three to four police personnel sustained injuries to the eyes and face and were later taken for treatment.

The injured officers are undergoing care at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, according to the PTI report.