- November 24, 2025
15 Arrested As Delhi Pollution Protesters Use Chilli Spray On Cops, Shout Controversial Slogans
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Delhi Police arrested 15 protesters for allegedly assaulting officers with chilli spray during a demonstration against toxic air at India Gate.
New Delhi: People raise slogans during a protest against worsening air quality in the national capital, at the India Gate (Photo: PTI)
The Delhi Police on Monday arrested 15 protesters on charges of assaulting government officers on duty, after those protesting over toxic air allegedly used chilli spray on personnel deployed at India Gate a day earlier.
Officials said the arrests were made after the protest escalated into a scuffle, leaving multiple officers injured and prompting immediate legal action for assault on government servants on duty.
According to the details, the protest was organised by the Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air to highlight the capital’s worsening air quality.
The group claimed that Delhi’s air has remained in the “severe” category and accused authorities of relying on what they described as “cosmetic measures,” such as water sprinklers, cloud seeding and spraying near Air Quality Index (AQI) stations, instead of implementing meaningful long-term solutions.
However, some protestors were heard shouting “Long Live Hidma” (“Hidma amar rahe”) slogans.
Madvi Hidma was one of India’s most notorious Maoist leaders, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitaramaraju district on November 18. He earned a bounty of Rs 1 crore.
News agency PTI quoted police officials as saying that the demonstrators had gathered near the C-Hexagon stretch and were repeatedly advised to move because their presence was blocking the route for ambulances and medical staff.
Officers said they tried to explain to the group that emergency vehicles were stuck due to the protest, but the participants allegedly refused to clear the way.
The situation deteriorated when the protesters broke through barricades, moved onto the road and sat down, leading police to attempt their removal.
A senior police officer told PTI that during this confrontation, several protesters used chilli powder and pepper spray on personnel.
“The situation then turned into a scuffle, and some protesters used chilli powder on our personnel, which is unusual and rare,” the officer said, adding that three to four police personnel sustained injuries to the eyes and face and were later taken for treatment.
The injured officers are undergoing care at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, according to the PTI report.
Meanwhile, the group behind the protest told PTI that the government has responded to public concerns with “suppression,” alleging detentions, restrictions and attempts to silence activists who raise issues of environmental degradation.
They said the demonstration was a response to what they call a worsening development model that has contributed to pollution, displacement and extreme weather events.
ALSO READ | Hidma’s Vanishing Acts: From DG-Led Ops To Drone Bombs, How The Most-Feared Naxal Escaped 4 Times
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
November 24, 2025, 09:53 IST
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