Delhi witness 130 per cent rise in dharnas

NEW DELHI: Delhi witnessed around 130 per cent rise in dharnas while 60 per cent increase was also reported in numbers of demonstrations held by various groups and political parties in the last one year.

According to Delhi Police's annual report, in 2013, 1,836 dharnas and strikes were held while 4,170 such events were staged by various groups, including political parties.

The report stated that from January to December in 2013, 1,497 demonstrations were staged in the national capital, but from January to December 15 last year, the numbers rose to 2409.

"However, the capital registered a decline in numbers of rallies and recorded only 361 rallies while in 2013, as many as 683 rallies were carried out by different groups and political parties," the report said.

Police also grappled with major law and order arrangements in Karbala, Trilokpuri, Bawana and other places in the city.

With Delhi being a national capital, various groups and politcal parties choose it to stage protest, dharnas and carry out rallies here.

The regrouped Janata Parivar's rally, held at Jantar Mantar in last month, had also caused traffic snarls in differents parts of the East Delhi and New Delhi as Samajwadi Party workers came out on road and headed towards the event venue.

Police said that during 2014, numbers of processions also decreased with the capital registering 1044 processions while in 2013, as many as 1,055 processions were held by various groups.