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| Edited By: |Source: DNA |Updated: Jan 22, 2014, 03:35 PM IST
The protesters started arriving at the site since early morning, and were soon joined by former army chief Gen VK Singh.
The crowd then began marching towards the high-security Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill but were stopped by security personnel, who had put up barricades.
Protestors consisted of mostly school children along with teachers, activists and concerned citizens.
The protests had literally breached security and reached President Pranab Mukherjee's doorstep on Friday, with angry demonstrators going right up till the gates of Rashtrapati Bhavan and one even managing to enter the complex.
Police started using water canons to control the crowd as protests intensify in Delhi.
Police launched lathi-charge and tear gas as the crowd continued to surge in a bid to reach Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Protestors attacked police vans as they declared that they will not stop their protests come what may.
The protesters, however, braved the water cannons in the winter chill and refused to leave the high-security area.
Police also resorted to force and burst tear gas shells against the young protesters to break their ranks. The entire area was filled with tear gas.
One girl was injured in the melee. She was taken to hospital. A police bus was damaged by the protesters.
Many protestors have been arrested for stoning and throwing shoes at the police.
Police reinforcements have been rushed in to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Policemen also injured in clash between protestors and police.
Violence ends but protests continue outside Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Demonstrators shout slogans as they hold placards --Reuters
Roads to North Block, South Block and Rashtrapati Bhavan blocked.
Rapid Action Force brought in to control the crowds outside Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Government says protestors should not be violent.
Home Ministry says it has no problem engaging with the protestors.
Police is taking measures to control the crowds.
A boy and a girl and a traffic policeman were injured as the police directed water jets and opened a volley of teargas shells that pushed them back a little even as some of the protesters braved the chill and waterbottles and shoes at the policemen.
Window panes of a police van were smashed. One of the girls broke the glass window of a bus with her hands.
The police action came as 'negotiations' failed at the Raisina Hill leading to Rashtrapati Bhawan failed and the protesters, comprising largely young women and men, tried to breach the barricades to push towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The protest spot resembled a battle zone with empty shells and wet roads. The area has been cordoned off and police reinforcements have been rushed to the Hill that divides the North and South Block, which houses the Prime Minister's Office.
Girl protesters alleged that policemen hit them with lathis and declared they will launch a sit-in in the area. Protests refused to disperse from the place.
Water cannon was again used by police on the protesters a little after noon. Policemen fired 10 rounds of teargas shells at the protesters who had reassembled after the first round of tear gas shelling and water cannons.
Protesters refused to budge from the high-security area at Raisina Hill and clashed with the policemen and RAF personnel.
Ten students were injured and another police van was damaged in the fresh round of clashes.
Minister of State for Home Affairs RPN Singh appealed to the protesters not to resort to violence.
"We have assured on the floor of House and every platform possible that strictest action will be taken against the accused. Police has been asked to show restraint but I want to tell boys and girls that breaking barriers won't help (to solve the issue)," Singh said.
Demonstrators hold candles and placards during a candlelight vigil to show solidarity with the rape victim, in Chandigarh
Victim's health update from Safdarjung hospital
Doctors give an update on the victim's health
Psychologists say:
Fresh police reinforcements were rushed to control the protesters who had turned violent at the site. Some women protesters were seen being taken away by women police constables.
While rows of policemen guarded the road leading to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, police officials near the barricades tried in vain to reason with the protesters to leave the area.
RPN Singh appeals for peace
With student protesters turning violent, the Union minister appealed to young protesters to show restraint and assured them that strictest action would be meted out to the accused in the paramedical student gang-rape case.
Click here to read his statement
Police resorted to use of water cannons and lobbing teargas shells for the third time in the day around 1 PM.
However, the protesters again gathered near Raisina Hills soon after.
On Rafi Marg near Raisina Hills, a group of students damaged a hoarding of Delhi Police.
Some of the "unruly" protesters were detained.
Fresh police reinforcements were rushed to control the protesters who had turned violent at Raisina Hills. Some women protesters were seen being taken away by women police constables.
Fresh police reinforcements were rushed to control the protesters who had turned violent at Raisina Hills. Some women protesters were seen being taken away by women police constables.
While rows of policemen guarded the road leading to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, police officials near the barricades tried in vain to reason with the protesters to leave the area.
PM should assure nation, youth: CPI on Delhi gang-rape
The CPI on Saturday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address the nation and assure the people, particularly the youth, that the government would take steps to counter crimes against women.
"If the Prime Minister can address the nation on the issue of allowing FDI in retail, why can't he find time to do so when such horrendous crimes against women are taking place," asked CPI National Secretary D Raja.
Observing that the mass protests "reflect the anger of the people" on the issue, he said the Prime Minister "should own up moral responsibility and assure the younger generation that the government would build legal safeguards to counter the menace."
He said the Prime Minister has "neither been seen nor heard on such matters. These are occasions in the history of the nation that the Prime Minister should address the people."
"His silence leads to loss of confidence. The government already suffers from lack of moral authority" on several issues, Raja said.
BJP condemns police action on Delhi gang-rape protesters
The BJP on Saturday condemned police action on youth protesting against the gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in a bus Dec 16, saying the prime minister ought to have spoken to them and heard their concerns over growing crime against women in the national capital.
Aakshi Magazine reports from the ground
As the effect of tear gas subsides, people come back to the spot and refuse to leave, says Aakshi Magazine
A huge crowd of people (most of them students) are coming towards Raisina Hill from India Gate
"We will not go back...We want the laws changed," a group of girls from Delhi University tell DNA.
The girls have been pacing up and down on the road that leads from India Gate to Raisina Hill since morning.
Home minister briefs PM
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde briefs Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on gang-rape issue.
Click here to read the entire report
Chhaya Sharma, DCP of South Delhi Police briefs the media
The juvenile boy arrested in relation to the case has spent a wavered childhood.
He ran away from home five years ago. He came to work at his uncle's dhaba here. He then did other odd jobs to make a living.
We arrested him from the Anand Vihar bus stop.
It became difficult for us to trace him because we had no photos of him and neither was there an address.
He has not been in contact with his family since last five years. He would sleep in the buses here. Only Ram Singh recognised who he was. So it became very difficult for us to trace him.
Along with his other stuff, we recovered an ATM card which belonged to the victim.
About Akshay
We knew he worked as a domestic help. We spoke to his previous employer.
He belongs to a village in Bihar, where he has a wife back home. Our first team that visited his village, was unable to find him.
We visited his relatives in Gurgaon, Sirsa, Bilaspur, Shahjahanpur and other places to find out if he had contacted anyone.
Protests are being held all across Mumbai to demand security for women in the backdrop of the gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi.
'Reduce security for politicians and give it to aam aadmi'
Around 300 people have gathered at the rally organised Aam Aadmi Party to demand reduction in security to politicians. They said that police, intead, should be diverted to aam aadmi's (common man) protection.
Protesters marched from outside Bandra West Railway station to corner of Zig-Zag Road
People take to the streets of Mumbai to demand better security
Ashutosh Shukla reports
Calling the government hypocrite, the demonstrators said the government holds debates on the issue in Parliament, but does not table the Bill to improve security for women.
While marching, the protesters asked the onlookers to join them. They also took signatures from the crowd as part of the support to the rally and their demands.
While rally organisers demanded death sentence for rape convicts, some people call for harsher punishment, like making the rapists handicapped and throwing them on the streets.
Protesters held banners reading:
Shinde meets PM again
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and gave him a detailed briefing on the gang-rape issue.
The prime minister and the home minister discussed a series of steps to be taken for creating a sense of security in Delhi and calm down the outrage, sources.
Sonia Gandhi seeks immediate action
Sonia Gandhi spoke to the PM and sought immediate action in gang rape case and appropriate measures to protect the victim, Congress sources said on Saturday.
Protesters also converged near Safdurjung Hospital to express solidarity with the victim. There were attempts to block traffic.
According to sources, commission of inquiry to be set up to go into the gangrape incident in the capital. Rape law to be made stringent. Inquiry to be headed by a retired judge.
Charge-sheet would be filed very shortly. Action would be taken action transporters whose bus was used in the crime.
Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said charge-sheet would be filed very shortly. Action would be taken action transporters whose bus was used in the crime. He said that the government weas asking for fast-trial trial in the Delhi gang-rape case.
Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said charge-sheet would be filed very shortly. Action would be taken action transporters whose bus was used in the crime. He said that the government weas asking for fast-trial trial in the Delhi gang-rape case.
The public transport system in New Delhi would be improved at night, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said. Shinde appealed the protesters to go home and promised to take strict action in the case.
Enhanced punishment in rarest of rare rape cases, said home minister Sushilkumar Shinde.He said that 4-5 policemen on duty that night would be suspended.
We will not spare anyone in the case, be it an officer of high rank also, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on delhi gang-rape case. He said that patrolling in Delhi will be enhanced. A commission would be created to look into the lapses in the case.
Full text of home minister's speech
Thousands of people protesting against the torture and gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in a moving bus and demanding safety for women converged at India Gate and marched towards Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.