Party flags flutter at protests, youth wings mark presence

Possibly with an eye on the Delhi assembly polls, various political parties have jumped into the protests along with common people demanding resignation of chief minister Shelia Dikshit and police commissioner Neeraj Kumar over this barbaric act.

A majority of protesters outside AIIMS, police headquarters, Gandhi Nagar police station and Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s home were from different political parties.

Flags of BJP carried by its youth wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the Left  represented by Students Federation of India, Ultra left party’s All India Students' Association and members of Aam Aadmi Party were mostly seen at the protest venues.

The AAP-initiated protest against police and government on Friday outside Swami Dayanand Hospital, was on Saturday, followed by the other parties.

Unlike the angry outburst of common people at the city roads demanding justice for December 16 gang rape victim this time the protesters were mostly from political background. At the police headquarters, in the morning, it was only members of AAP holding demonstration. By afternoon, all the other parties had taken centre stage one by one.

When asked why they are carrying their flag and placards representing their parties, SFI member Debashish Dutta said, “Wherever we protest, we carry our flag and it is our identity. We have not come here for any political ambition but to demand justice for the victim.”
Replying to a similar question, AVBP member Sunil Srivastav said, “What’s wrong in carrying our flag? We came here to represent that we are with the victim.”

AAP protesters, led by Arvind Kejriwal, were determined to carry out their protest till the time the victim gets justice. “We have seen what callous approach the government has towards the victim. We will continue our fight till such an incident is not repeated in the country.”
While Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel led a candlelight march from Talkatora Stadium to India gate in the evening, AAP walked from police headquarters to India Gate.