At Jantar Mantar, where people started gathering since morning, mourners sat on a silent protest. Later there were sloganeering and demands for immediate punishment for the rape culprits.
Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal and his associates Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas also joined the protest along with some of their supporters with their mouth tied with black cloth.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit faced public anger forcing her to beat a hasty retreat from Jantar Mantar where she had gone to join the mourners.
A sizeable area in downtown Delhi was plunged into a security lockdown with India Gate and the Raisina Hills a strict no-go area in the aftermath of the young student's death in Singapore, drawing condemnation from protesters.
“The government is not even allowing mourning of the death. This is insensitivity. There is complete lock down. You have the metro stations shut. You have a road completely blocked. This is undemocratic,” fumed a protester.
Members of women groups, cultural outfits and civil rights activists joined in mourning marches in different parts of Mumbai where actor-activist Shabana Azmi walked in a silent protest march from Juhu beach to Kaifi Azmi Park and termed the death of the girl as a “clarion call” to rise against prevention of crimes against women.
“We cannot let the anger pass. It will be a greater betrayal. We have to do some soul searching.”
