Dalit protest: Traffic comes to standstill in parts of Delhi
A Dalit protest brought the movement of traffic in several parts of Delhi to a standstill, as police personnel struggled to bring the situation under control.
In view of the massive protest against the demolition of a Ravidas temple, the Delhi Traffic Police issued several advisories, urging commuters to avoid stretches which witnessed heavy snarls.
It said traffic moved bumper-to-bumper in entire southeast Delhi, including Jasola Vihar, Greater Kailash, Alaknanda, Sangam Vihar, Kalkaji Mandir, roads leading to Govindpuri, Nehru Place, Badarpur and Noida.
A traffic police officer said the protesters were squatting on the roads and police personnel were trying to convince them to call off the protest. "We have not been able to reach a solution so far. Traffic in entire southeast Delhi has come to a standstill," he said.
Earlier in the day, the protest led to traffic snarls in central Delhi as thousands of protesters hit the streets against the demolition of the temple. Tension prevailed in the Tughlakabad area in south Delhi after the protest turned violent, prompting police to resort to "mild lathi-charge" and use tear gas to disperse the crowd, an official said.
According to the police, the protesters set fire to two motorcycles and vandalised a police vehicle, causing injuries to a few policemen. "Police lobbed tear gas shells and used mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. We have detained a few persons," the senior official said.
The protesters turned violent during their march to the site of the temple demolished by the Delhi Development Authority on August 10 on the orders of the Supreme Court. Dalit outfit Bhim Army claimed its chief Chandrashekhar Azad had been detained and that the police fired at the protesters.
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