Several women and members of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) took to the streets on Thursday demanding capital punishment for those convicted on rape charges. While the protest march was scheduled from Rajghat to Parliament, the Delhi police stopped the protesters near ITO.
DCW members said that the protesters were “brutally assaulted” by the force despite the march being a “peaceful” one.
Rajrani Sharma, 60, who was a part of the protest said: “How long will the police stop us? They will get tired but we will not. Our fight is against the government for not taking adequate steps. Nobody seems to think about the poor. Our daughters do not have bodyguards that the affluent sections have”
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The march was organised on a day when DCW chief Swati Maliwal’s hunger strike entered the tenth day.
The women’s panel also said that several women were detained and injured following a scuffle between the force and the protesters.
DCP (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa said that around 10 people were detained during the protest and later let off.
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During the scuffle a photojournalist was also allegedly manhandled by the force.
Responding to the allegations, Mr. Randhawa said, “During the protest, a photojournalist who was standing close to the barricade was requested by the police staff not to stand there as protesters were throwing bangles and pushing barricades. Further on my intervention, he argued with me and neither his camera was taken nor he was assaulted. Many other journalists were also present there.”