Congress workers and supporters clashed with Delhi Police on being stopped from proceeding towards Parliament from central Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest against the Land Acquisition Bill on Monday.
Police resorted to lathicharge and used water cannons when the protesters tried to break barricades at Jantar Mantar.
Some people, including All India Youth Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Brar, sustained minor injuries and were taken to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
The protest was a culmination of the foot march that started from Bhatta-Parsaul village in Uttar Pradesh last Friday.
They had reached central Delhi’s Rajghat on Monday morning, from where the party supporters and AIYC members walked to Jantar Mantar.
The event had forced police to deploy a heavy contingent near Vijay Chowk.
Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Randeep Surjewala, Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh, Ambika Soni, Ahmed Patel addressed the protesters who gathered there.
“They were expected to hold a peaceful protest and not gather outside Parliament Street. We requested them to return to Jantar Mantar, but many of them tried to cross the barricades. Lathicharge and water cannons were used for law and order situation,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal.
He added that elaborate security arrangements had been made to avert any disruption of peace.
Heavy contingents of police and Rapid Action Force were deployed at Jantar Mantar.
Police said the entire area near Parliament, except parts of Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street, are under section 144 (unlawful assembly) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
They had also warned of strict legal action if rules were violated.
A case under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (causing hurt) and 353 (assault) of the Indian Penal Code will be filed with Parliament Street police station.
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