Seething with anger, hundreds of people yesterday came out on the roads waving banners, shouting slogans and waving their fists in the air, demanding justice for the 23-year-old physiotherapist who was brutally gang-raped and is battling for life.
As tempers flew high, women activists and students tried to enter the high-security Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace on Raisina Hill, but were stopped by the securitymen. But it didn’t stop hundreds of protesters from trying again.
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Shouting “We want justice”, hundreds of women banged at the iron gates of gate number two of Rashtrapati Bhavan to gain entry.
“We started our march from Rail Bhavan and reached Vijay Chowk. We moved towards Rashtrapati Bhavan through South and North Blocks, but police stopped us,” said Annie Raja, of the All India Democratic Women’s Association.
“About 250 protesters thronged the high-security zone of Rastrapathi Bhavan. We had to divert them back to India Gate,” a senior police official said. “They do nothing to protect us, and when we want justice, they say we need permission to enter the president’s house. Such a heinous crime has occurred, and they expect us to seek permission to protest,” Swati, a student, said.
The hospital has also been a protest site for the last four days where crowds have been lighting candles and praying for the victim’s life.u00a0