Delhi gang-rape: Peaceful protests continue across nation

The ongoing protest against the gruesome rape and death of a 23-year-old woman refuses to die down as thousands of protestors continued their peaceful protests throughout the night at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Monday.

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: The flames of the pyre may have died, but public anger continues with thousands of protestors across the nation paying homage to the 23-year-old brave Delhi gang-rape victim, who was cremated in here on Sunday morning. Reports on Monday said that thousands of protestors continued their peaceful protests throughout the night till morning braving extreme weather conditions at the Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. Demanding justice for 23-year-old woman, a large number of people today joined protestors, who had gathered at Jantar Mantar overnight. Various student groups, women activists and citizens said the protest would continue. "We will fight for the girl. I`m on hunger strike for the past three days and will continue till the gang rape victim gets justice and the fast-track courts to hear cases of sexual harassment," Babusingh Ram, one among the two sitting on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar told reporters. Students organisation All India Students Association (AISA) have decided to organise a protest march at 3 pm at the Central Park in Connaught Place. "We are expecting at least a thousand students to participate in the march. We wil raise our voice voice till our demands are met," Sucheta De, general secretary, AISA said. Meanwhile Delhi Police has not made any traffic restrictions during the day, but have made restrictions from 7 pm Monday evening on New Year`s Eve. "No vehicle will be allowed after 7 pm in and around Connaught Place in central Delhi beyond Minto Road-Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg crossing, Bengali Market, and Chelmsford Road," a Delhi traffic police advisory said. Apart from this, three Metro Stations - Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba Road and Patel Chowk - will shut down early at 7.30 p.m. Monday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said Sunday. "The commuters will not be allowed to enter or leave the three stations because of security restrictions for New Year celebrations," Delhi Metro said in a statement. Tickets will not be sold at these stations after 7.15 p.m. However, the passengers will be able to interchange stations at Rajiv Chowk till 11 p.m. All other stations on the Delhi Metro network will function as usual. The 23-year-old victim, who was gang-raped Dec 16 in a moving bus was quietly cremated Sunday morning after her body was flown in from Singapore, where she succumbed to her injuries in a hospital. In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi went to the airport late Saturday to receive the body of the 23-year-old who was brutally assaulted and gang-raped by six men. The woman`s young male friend, who was also attacked by the six rapists on the bus, did not attend the cremation. The 28-year-old man and his family quietly left for Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday night, a source said. Candle-light vigils to pay homage to the woman, who fought grimly for survival for 13 days, were held in various residential colonies across Delhi as well as in other cities on Sunday. While many raised slogans for tougher laws to deal with rapists, some organised a `havan` - a prayer by fire ceremony - for the departed soul. The main opposition party BJP questioned the "hush-hush manner" in which the cremation was held and also demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue of rising crimes against women. Delhi has the unflattering sobriquet of "rape capital" with over 600 rapes recorded this year alone, according to police figures. With IANS Inputs