New Delhi: A picture from Sunday’s (November 23) protest against the poor air quality in Delhi at India Gate has gone viral on social media. The picture features a young protester pinned face-down on the pavement while a police officer presses his hand against his face.
The image emerged after some students were seen holding posters of slain Maoist commander Madvi Hidma during their demonstration demanding action on the capital city's deteriorating air quality.
Have a look at it here:
Here's what happened
The protest was initially held to highlight the worsening Air Quality Index (AQI), with some protesters raising slogans such as "Long Live Hidma". Officers said the crowd was removed from India Gate because of a Supreme Court order designating Jantar Mantar as the approved protest site.
Police also said that the group then moved into the C Hexagon area, attempted to cross barricades and ignored repeated requests to allow ambulances and medical staff to pass. As the stand-off escalated, protesters reportedly broke barricades, occupied the road and resisted removal.
According to the police, a section of the protesters used chilli spray on personnel, injuring three to four officers who were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla described the incident to PTI as unprecedented, adding that several officers had been sprayed in the eyes and face. An FIR has been registered for obstruction of government work, and officials said they will examine how posters of Hidma were circulated.
Meanwhile, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar called the pollution crisis a national health emergency and accused the Centre of failing to act. Earlier this month, Opposition leaders had joined similar marches towards India Gate as the AQI touched 400 in parts of the city. On Sunday, Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 391, with nearly half of the monitoring stations recording severe levels.
Who was Madvi Hidma?
Madvi Hidma, one of the most feared Naxal commanders and a key CPI Maoist strategist, was killed on November 18 in an encounter in the Maredumilli forests of Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Security forces said he and his group were intercepted while fleeing from Chhattisgarh following weeks of intelligence alerts on Maoist movement along the tri-state border.
Born in Purvati village in south Sukma, Hidma rose through the Maoist ranks after Class 10, eventually leading the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army Battalion 1 and serving on the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. He was linked to at least 26 major attacks across Bastar and carried a bounty of over one crore rupees. His death is being seen by security agencies as a major setback to Maoist networks operating in the region.
