Students, Opposition leaders, residents up in arms over air pollution at India Gate

On Sunday evening, residents, student leaders and Opposition leaders from the AAP and the Congress staged protest at India Gate against the Delhi Government over the issue of pollution in the national capital.

Some of the protesters were detained and taken away from the protesting site by the police, and were released later.

The detainees included many female students along with the JNUSU president, joint secretary, and AISA DU president and secretary.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Devesh Kumar Mahla, appealed to people not to protest at India Gate, referring to a Supreme Court order, saying there are designated protest sites at Jantar Mantar.

“Hence, we are advising people to follow the guidelines, rules. They can give an application for a protest at Jantar Mantar, and we will give permission. Assembling here is not good in terms of security,” he said.

Joining the protest, leaders from the Opposition also slammed the BJP for rising air pollution in the national capital. AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj praised the civil society members for organising the protest and slammed the Rekha Gupta dispensation and institutions linked to climate control and monitoring.

“This protest has been called by some members of civil society, and we are glad that a non-political protest has been organised on this issue. Many well-educated and knowledgeable people have joined. Why have they joined? Because there is now a trust deficit among the people when it comes to the government,” the former Delhi minister said.

Congress leader Abhishek Dutt lashed out at the ‘triple-engine government’, saying, “It’s very sad. We have a triple-engine government but they can’t even address a basic issue, I have not come here as a Congressman, but as a citizen of this country.”