Several protesters, including students and alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia, who were detained at the Civil Lines police station late on Tuesday night for gheraoing Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence seeking action against those responsible for violence in the national capital and restoration of peace in the city were released on Wednesday morning.
The call to gherao the CM’s residence was given by Jamia Co-ordination Committee (JCC) and Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia. (AAJMI). At around 3.30am, water cannons were used to disperse the protesters, said the agitating students.
Earlier, the JCC, in a statement, said that water cannons were fired upon the protesting students and they were beaten up.
“All detained protesters released. They are being taken to Aruna Asif Ali Hospital for treatment,” the JCC said this morning.
People gathered outside Kejriwal’s residence and raised slogans demanding action against those responsible for violence in Delhi. Appealing to Kejriwal to take action against the violence in affected areas in North-East Delhi, protesters, who called themselves concerned citizens, asked the chief minister to personally visit affected areas with local MLAs and organise peace marches to de-escalate tensions.
They also urged the chief minister to inform citizens about steps taken by the Delhi government and allow all rescue operations to reach hospitals from the affected areas.
Late on Tuesday, CM Kejriwal called an urgent meeting at his residence, of MLAs and officials of the violence-hit areas of Delhi, to take stock of the situation and issued instructions to take all necessary steps to restore peace.
The same night, in the wake of violence in North East Delhi, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval reached Seelampur area to take stock of the situation and visited violence-hit areas.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held a meeting with Delhi Police and Home Ministry officials in the wake of violence that has been raging in the national capital for the past two days.
The Home Minister urged political parties leaders to exercise restraint, rise above party lines to tackle the situation, according to an official release.
He also urged leaders to avoid giving provocative speeches and statements which could result in a flare-up of the situation.
In a measure to control the escalating situation, the government immediately repatriated 1985 batch IPS officer S N Shrivastava, from the CRPF back to Delhi Police, and appointed him as special commissioner of police – law and order
At least 13 people have died so far and around 190 are injured in the violence that has been raging in North-East Delhi since Monday.
