From streets to Raisina Hill, call for justice grows for rape victim

New Delhi, Dec 21: Seething with anger, hundreds of people Friday came out on the roads waving banners, shouting slogans and waving their fists in the air, demanding justice for the 23-year-old physiotherapist who was brutally gang-raped and is battling for life.As tempers flew high, women activists and students tried to enter the high-security Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace on Raisina Hill, but were stopped by the securitymen. But it didn't stop the hundreds of protesters to repeat it again.Shouting "We want justice", hundreds of women banged at the iron gates of gate number two of Rashtrapati Bhavan to gain entry. "We started our march from Rail Bhavan and reached Vijay Chowk, we moved towards Rashtrapati Bhavan through South and North Blocks, but police stopped us," Annie Raja, of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), told reporters.The women made another attempt to march towards the Raisina Hill from India Gate - a stretch of around 2.5 km - and blocked the traffic on Vijay Chowk. They were detained and taken to Mandir Marg police station. Police officials said the crowd tried to force their way into Rashtrapati Bhavan, but was diverted back to India Gate, the memorial to the unknown soldier."About 250 protesters thronged the high-security zone of Rastrapathi Bhavan. We had to divert them back to India Gate," a senior police official told IANS.Swati, a student, managed to slip past the gates of Rashtrapati Bhavan, but was whisked back by policemen. "They do nothing to protect us, and when we want justice, they say we need permission to enter the president's house. Such a heinous crime has occurred, and they expect us to seek permission to protest," an agitated Swati said. But the anger of the people found resonance across the city as men and women, old and young gathered at Safdarjung Hospital in south Delhi from early morning where the woman is undergoing treatment and still continues to be in critical condition.By evening, the numbers at Jantar Mantar and India Gate swelled to thousands as protesters waved India flags and continued loud sloganeering. Women sporting black bands on their forehead, demanded strict punishment for rapists. Some even demanded death for them so as it deter such incidents from happening in the future.Several students and college students from Jawahar Lal Nehru University and Delhi University also organised street plays and street painting at India Gate to voice their anger.Yet another group, under the aegis of the newly launched Aam Aadmi Party, held a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar, a protest site, in central Delhi. Its leader Arvind Kejriwal said the need of the hour is to set up fast track courts."The laws are weak and there should be strong law so that trial and conviction happens in two months. It is not about capital punishment but swiftness and certainty of punishment," said Arvind Kejriwal of the party. The hospital has also been a protest site for the last four days where the crowd have been lighting candles and praying for her life.Many school girls holding placards and shouting slogans marched towards the hospital. "We took out a march to Safdarjung Hospital to show that she is not alone we all are fighting for her. We are so shocked and scared to live in the city. We want to know what Delhi government is doing. It is a shame," said Anubhuti Singh, a class nine student of a government school in Green Park. A 'peace walk' was organized by Jamia Millia Islamia students to support the gang rape victim and pledging 'zero tolerance towards sexual violence'. Protests were also reporters from other cities in the country, with people blocking roads and taking out marches. The gangrape of the woman Sunday night has sparked massive outrage and countrywide protests. Police have so far arrested five men.