Several gather at India Gate to protest against rising air pollution as national capital chokes
Police detained several protesters, citing a Supreme Court order that designates Jantar Mantar, not India Gate, as the official site for demonstrations.
PTC News Desk: A day after Delhi’s air quality slipped into the red zone, with several areas recording AQI levels above 400, activists, citizens, and leaders from Opposition parties — including AAP and Congress — marched towards India Gate, demanding that the government take stronger action against air pollution in the national capital.
Police detained several protesters, citing a Supreme Court order that designates Jantar Mantar, not India Gate, as the official site for demonstrations.
The protest at India Gate lasted for about 30 minutes before police intervened and began detaining participants. Some protesters claimed they were not being allowed to demonstrate peacefully and were instead forcibly removed.
Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj acknowledged that pollution has been a long-standing problem in the city but said it was notable that intellectuals had come out on the streets this time, reflecting a loss of trust.
Bharadwaj accused the BJP-led central government of “manipulating” pollution data, alleging that data collection from AQI centres is stopped whenever pollution levels spike.