Most residents of Gandhi Vihar backed the police claim that the protesting UPSC aspirants went on a rampage and hurled stones indiscriminately at the police.
The police and the protesters, who allegedly damaged buses and injured 12 people on Thursday night, have made conflicting claims on what triggered the violence.
Several locals, including house owners who have rented out living space to some of the protesters, said they had never seen such violence in the area even though protests have taken place over the issue before.
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“The protesters were indiscriminately hurling stones at the policemen who were trying to contain them. Fearing that some of these could hurt us, most shopkeepers, including I, rolled down the shutters and stayed indoors,” said Rohit, who runs a furniture shop in Gandhi Vihar.
Ten-year-old Rohit who was witness to the arson on the highway said the students were very aggressive and the police’s efforts to pacify them did not yield any results.
He also added that the few hundred metres he covers on foot to reach his home in Wazirabad each day turned into a five-km long commute as the protesters had blocked the highway.
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