Rapid Action Force and policemen were deployed in large numbers and the agitating students were stopped about 100 metres from the court premises.
Updated at 5.45pm
NEW DELHI: Anti-quota medicos and students on Thursday struck work and took their protest to the Supreme Court doors where police burst teargas shells and fired water cannons to disperse them injuring many.
A large number of resident doctors of key Delhi hospitals went on a mass casual leave and joined medical and university students in a protest demonstration near the Supreme Court where several of them courted arrest.
The protestors had planned to form a human chain and a silent sit-in demonstration to voice their opposition to the Centre's move to introduce a Bill in Parliament proposing reservation in government-aided educational institutions.
However, healthcare services at AIIMS, Maulana Azad Medical College and Bara Hindu Rao Hospital were not affected as consultants and faculty members attended patients at the OPDs and emergency and casualty wards.
"We had drawn up contingency plans. Consultant doctors and faculty members attended to patients. All services and facilities are functioning normally," AIIMS spokesperson Shakti Gupta said.
He said as a precautionary measure, the OPD timings were curtailed by 30 minutes to avoid excess patients as the residents were on strike.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Anand Mohan said "we had to resort to bursting teargas shells and firing water canons as the students were moving towards the Supreme Court, where prohibitory orders are in place."
Rapid Action Force and policemen were deployed in large numbers and the agitating students were stopped about 100 metres from the apex court premises.
Protest from other parts of the country have also been reported. Several medicos were injured in Kolkata when police baton charged protestors who blocked the arterial Chittaranjan Avenue and Bowbazar street.
Protests were also organised in Indore, Kanpur and Mumbai, where five persons including Maratha Mahasangh president Sunil Pawar were arrested during a stir on Wednesday night.
Students of the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur did not attend classes and their protest was backed the faculty.
Students of IIM-Indore would hold a candle-light protest rally to oppose the Centre's decision to introduce reservations in government-aided educational institutions.
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