Three to four officers suffered eye and facial injuries and were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
Delhi Air Pollution Protest Turns Violent at India Gate, Pepper Spray Used on Police; Maoist Slogans Trigger Probe
A protest against Delhi’s toxic air turned violent on Sunday evening when a group of demonstrators allegedly used chilli spray on police personnel at India Gate. It was marked as one of the rarest and most aggressive confrontations that was seen during an environmental agitation in the capital.
According to Delhi Police, protesters gathered near the C-Hexagon area without permission and staged a sit-in for nearly an hour. They raised slogans and held posters about the city’s hazardous air. This demonstration disrupted the movement of ambulances and medical staff, prompting officers to request the crowd to clear the road. When the protesters allegedly refused, a scuffle broke out. Several demonstrators broke barricades, occupied the carriageway, and then used pepper spray on personnel as the removal process began. Three to four officers suffered eye and facial injuries and were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
Parts of this protest also saw posters and slogans praising slain Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh on November 18, with some slogans such as “Madvi Hidma Amar Rahe” heard at the site. A poster linking environmental struggles to Maoist resistance also surfaced, prompting police to launch a separate identification and legal-action process against those raising such slogans.
The police added that 22 people have been arrested so far under various sections related to assaulting officers, obstructing public roads, and using chilli spray. Officers highlighted that India Gate is a non-protest zone as per court orders, and demonstrations are to be held only at Jantar Mantar.
The Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air, which had mobilised the protest. It issued a statement saying the capital’s air quality has become a “serious risk” to public health and accused authorities of relying on “cosmetic measures” instead of long-term solutions. They alleged that when citizens raise concerns, the response is “suppression”.
Monday’s AQI hovered near the severe mark again, with several stations crossing 430 — reinforcing why tensions on the ground are now spilling over into public aggression.
