Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which prohibits assembly of five or more people at a time, has been imposed at the India Gate, stated Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi.
While no gathering would be permissible around India Gate, up to a 100 people can gather at Jantar Mantar but only with prior permission from the competent authority.
The imposition would impede the protests planned at India Gate by activist and political groups, today, in support of the Hathras victim.
Social activists Hansraj Meena and Kush Voice had tweeted a call for a gathering at 5pm today at India Gate for their ‘Dalit sister.’
Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar had also lent her support to Bhim Army Chief, Chandra Shekhar Aazad’s call to action.
All India Students Association affiliated to CPI(L) too announced a citizen protest at India Gate today asking for resignation of the CM Yogi and charges against IAS Shishir and the SHO at Hathras under the SC/ST Act for the hurried cremation of the victim.
Jignesh Mevani, MLA from Vadgam Assembly Constituency, Gujarat and a Dalit activist had also asked people to gather for a candle march for the victim and against Yogi’s government.
The 19-year-old Dalit woman, allegedly gang-raped by four so-called upper caste men in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, had died in a hospital in Delhi on Tuesday, 29 September.
The case invoked outrage across the nation, with parallels being drawn to the Nirbhaya case from December 2012.
In the backdrop of the mounting pressure on the Yogi government and disappointment with the police’s actions, news agency ANI reported changes to the Information Department that State Additional Chief Secretary Avnish Awasthi would be replaced by Navneet Sehgal.
Also, Principal Secretary to CM Sanjay Prasad has been given additional charge of Principal Secretary of the Information Department.
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