New Delhi, March 23, 2007 (PTI): Several Kuki students, most of them girls, and some police personnel were injured today when a demonstration by the students turned violent here, turning the Parliament Street into a battle zone for sometime.
Police used batons, water cannons and teargas shells to disperse around 500 students, who broke the security barricade and pelted stones at security personnel after their march was stopped at Jantar Mantar, around 250 metres from Parliament.
The activists of Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) from Manipur were seeking the safe release of around 400 villagers, who were allegedly kidnapped and tortured by the Myanmarese military junta.
Police detained around 100 students after the clash, while around 30 KSO activists were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital here. Several police personnel, including an ACP, was also injured in the clash.
“Kuki community under the aegis of KSO were holding a protest rally against the torture over 400 innocent villagers by UNLF-Burmese Military Junta across the international border,” said Paokhominthang Simte of KSO in a release.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police I B Rani, who also suffered minor injuries in the clash, said some students were detained after they attacked the police and broke security barricades.
The student organisation has also written a letter to President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding urgent intervention in the matter, the KSO said in a statement.
Source: The Sangai Express