Delhi, 24 November (H.S.):

A demonstration against air pollution at India Gate took a violent and controversial turn on Monday, leading to the arrest of 22 individuals after some participants allegedly attacked police with chili spray and displayed posters supporting senior Naxal commander Madvi Hidma.

The incident began as a youth-led protest at the C-Hexagon near India Gate, a high-security zone.

According to Delhi Police, the situation escalated when protestors broke through barricades and blocked traffic. DCP New Delhi, Devesh Kumar Mahla, stated that when officers attempted to remove the demonstrators, citing that emergency vehicles were stuck, they were met with aggression. When our teams were trying to remove them, some of the protesters attacked the police personnel with chili spray. Three to four personnel sustained irritation and are undergoing treatment, Mahla said.

The protest drew serious attention due to the appearance of posters and slogans supporting Madvi Hidma, a high-ranking Maoist commander recently killed in an encounter .

Hidma was a notorious leader in the banned CPI (Maoist) group, wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and implicated in numerous deadly attacks on security forces, including the 2010 Dantewada massacre.

Following the incident, Delhi Police filed two separate FIRs at the Kartavya Path and Parliament Street police stations. The arrested individuals face serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 121A, which pertains to conspiracy and sedition, alongside charges for assault on public servants and rioting.

This has transformed the case from a public order issue into a significant national security investigation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar