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JNUSU denies Delhi Police charge over India Gate protest; demands release of detained students

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on Wednesday denied involvement in Sunday's anti-pollution protest during which pro-Maoist slogans were allegedly raised. The union also called for action against police brutality and demanded the release of all detained students. JNUSU said it has epeatedly informed the Delhi Police that it was either the organiser nor a participant at the demonstration on Sunday. The FIR dated November 23, states in Hindi: It was known from social media and reliable sources that, on November 23 at 4 pm, under the banner of Delhi Co-ordinate Committee for Clean Air, members of AISA, JNUSU, etc. will protest at India Gate. JNUSU issued a statement in response to the FIR, saying, We have records of our communication to the Delhi Police that JNUSU is neither the organiser nor a participant in the programme. Despite making repeated communication to Delhi, such acts of naming only raise suspicions on the intentions of the Delhi Police. JNUSU accused the police of rutality and repression and demanded action against officers who allegedly manhandled and assaulted students, along with the release of all detainees. According to the FIR lodged in the matter, slogans such as Hidma amar rahe, kitne Hidma maroge, har ghar se Hidma niklega, and Hidma ji ko laal salaam were raised during the protest. India Gate is not a designated protest site. Protesters jumped barricades, blocked the C-Hexagon and refused to disperse, a police officer said. The FIR stated that officers had issued epeated warnings asking protesters to leave the area since demonstrations are not permitted there. Multiple videos circulating online allegedly show demonstrators shouting slogans praising the slain CPI (Maoist) commander, Madvi Hidma, prompting a police investigation. The Delhi Police said it has arrested 22 people for allegedly assaulting personnel, obstructing them, blocking roads and using pepper spray during the protest. On Monday, a Delhi court sent 17 people accused of obstructing and assaulting police personnel to three days judicial custody. In another related case, Delhi Police told the court that five protestersarrested for allegedly using pepper spray on policewere raising slogans praising Madvi Hidma. Scientists for Society (SFS), one of the organisations involved in Sundays Delhi Against Clean Air protest, distanced itself from the groups accused of raising unrelated slogans. SFS said on Monday it had participated solely on the issue of pollution, stressing that the demonstrations objective was to highlight Delhis severe air quality crisis, educate citizens, and question what it described as the governments failure and unwillingness to act. Scores of people assembled at the India Gate in a show of support for the Delhi Police on Tuesday. Protestors held placards reading: We support Delhi Police, Stop shielding anti-nationals, Nation against Hidma, Nation against Naxalism, accusing anti-national elements of infiltrating civic protests to promote extremist ideology. In a related incident, the ABVP unit at JNU staged an effigy-burning protest on Tuesday, condemning the recent rise in 'urban naxal' activities.