Parents, activists protest rising air pollution; Delhi Police detains several for gathering sans permission

New Delhi: Scores of people, including parents and environmental activists, staged a protest at the India Gate on Sunday against the worsening air quality in the national capital. The protesters, many of them mothers accompanied by children, said they had gathered to demand urgent government action to ensure clean air.

"We want to meet our elected officials. We had sought an appointment with the chief minister but were refused. So many parents are here because their children are suffering," environmentalist Bhavreen Khandari said.

According to police, several protesters were detained for assembling without permission. "There was no permission to hold a protest at India Gate. To maintain law and order and ensure there is no obstruction in security arrangements, some people were detained," a police officer said.


DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla said the detentions were preventive in nature.