Clashes at 4 places, first one at Sansad Marg: Police in internal report

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According to the New Delhi district police report, close to 200 police personnel, including senior officers, were injured in the clashes.

“On Sunday, police, after coordinating with multiple agencies, had initially estimated that around 10,000 to 15,000 people would take part in the Parliament march on July 20, and security arrangements were made accordingly. However, the crowd began swelling through the day and, by afternoon, over 50,000 people had joined the demonstration,” a source said.

The report is learned to have said that the first confrontation took place on Sansad Marg.

“Three layers of barricades had been put up to stop the march – the first at Tolstoy Marg, the second on Sansad Marg and the third near Transport Bhawan. Around 10.30 am, protesters allegedly broke through the barricade at Tolstoy Marg and moved towards the one on Sansad Marg, which too, they breached. With only the barricade near Transport Bhawan left between the crowd and the high-security zone, security personnel used force to disperse the protesters,” the source said.

After being pushed back from Sansad Marg, sections of the crowd moved through Raisina Road towards Rail Bhawan, located near Parliament House. “Between 1.30 pm and 2 pm, the protesters allegedly turned violent and began throwing footwear and stones at police personnel. Police said force was used again to remove them from the area,” the source added.

In view of the violence, the police decided to clear Jantar Mantar, where protesters had been camping. “Around 4-5 pm, police and security forces used mild force to remove the demonstrators from the site. After being cleared from Jantar Mantar, several protesters moved towards Kerala House, while a large number headed towards Janpath and the Connaught Place Outer Circle,” the source said.

As per the report, around 4.30-5.30 pm, police alleged that some protesters indulged in stone-pelting and vandalised police vehicles in the area, following which force was used again to disperse the crowd.

“Protesters who had gathered near Kerala House returned to Jantar Mantar around 7.30 pm. The report is expected to be submitted to senior officers at Delhi Police headquarters,” the source added.