- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sun, 23 Nov 2025 07:58 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
As Delhi has been grappling with the toxic air for the past few weeks, the protests seeking measures to curb the air pollution have started. On Sunday, a protest was held at the India Gate, where a group of people, holding placards, demanded action.
The protest, however, turned violent as the agitators tried to cross the barricade placed to restrict movement. During the episode, a scuffle broke out between the police and protestors, following which, some of them sprayed red chilli in the eyes of police personnel.
Talking about the protest, New Delhi DCP Devesh Kumar Mhla said that some of the protestors gathered inside C-Hexagon and tried to cross the barricade put to restrict the movement.
#WATCH | Delhi: A group of protesters holds a protest at India Gate over air pollution in Delhi-NCR. They were later removed from the spot by police personnel pic.twitter.com/DBEZTeET0U
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2025
Protestors broke barricade, used chilli spray at cops
The protestors, he added, broke the barricade and sat on the road. "Some of the protesters gathered inside the C-Hexagon and then tried to cross the barricade that we had put in place to restrict movement. However, they did not comply; they broke the barricade, came onto the road, and sat there...We requested them to move, as many ambulances and medical personnel were waiting behind them and required emergency access," he said.
DCP Mahla added that they removed protestors, but in the meantime, some of them used chilli spray against police personnel.
"We removed them from the C-Hexagon to avoid disrupting traffic. During the removal, several protesters scuffled with the police, and many of our personnel were injured. For the first time, we encountered the use of chilli spray against police personnel."
He added that this was the first instance in which chilli spray was used against the police. A few of the officers were sprayed in the eyes and were receiving treatment at RML Hospital. The DCP said that legal action is being taken in this regard.
Placards of slain Naxalite Hidma shown
According to a report by Live Hindustan, slogans of 'Hidma Amar Rahe' (Long live Hidma) were also raised during the protest.
Delhi air pollution worsens
On Sunday, the air quality in the national capital remained in the 'very poor' category, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB's Sameer app, 19 monitoring stations in Delhi reported 'severe' air quality and the remaining 19 stations recorded 'very poor' air quality with readings above 300.
Delhi's air quality is likely to be in the 'very poor' category from Monday to Wednesday, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System.
(With ANI and PTI Inputs)