New Delhi/Bangalore: Angry protests erupted across India on Wednesday over the gang-rape of a 23-year-old student with the national capital being the epicentre of demonstrations outside Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit`s residence, Police Headquarters and at India Gate.
Police had to use water cannons to disperse the protesters outside Dikshit`s residence when they tried to bring down metal barricades.
Hundreds of slogan-shouting people gathered at India Gate evening to protest against the brutal rape of the paramedical student in Delhi demanding strong action against the accused.
As cold winds blew, old and young, men and women started gathering at India Gate at around 5:00 pm and the numbers grew in large within an hour and they carried on with the campaign for hours. The protesters held candles and shouted slogans demanding stringent punishment for the perpetrators.
The outrage among the protesters was so intense that one group of over 200 people broke away from the demonstration at the War memorial and started marching towards the high security zone in Raisina Hills where Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Prime Minister`s Office(PMO), Home, Defence, External Affairs and Finance are located, taking police by surprise.
The agitated group managed to reach near South Block where they demanded they be allowed to meet Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde or Home Secretary R K Singh.
Police immediately swung into action barricading Raisina Hills. A large number of policemen were also rushed to the spot.
Outraged people condemning the gang-rape on the girl student in a moving bus on Sunday night also staged protests in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai among other cities.
Demanding stern action against the six accused, scores of protesters associated with All India Students` Association (AISA), All India Democratic Womens` Association (AIDWA) and other organisations staged protest in front of the residence of Sheila Dikshit and Police Headquarters.
"My body my right my city my right," was an inscription in one of the scores of placards carried by the protesters. "We want equal rights for women," said another placard.
BJP`s Delhi unit also staged protests at Jantar Mantar.
PTI
