New Delhi, December 18
Delhi citizens simmering with anger following the recent gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in the capital took to streets today venting out their anger and discontent against the safety for women in the capital. Leading the protest were the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University who took charge last evening itself with a flash demonstration in front of the Vasant Vihar Police Station, where the case has been registered, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

After reaching out to local residents and several women organisations, JNU students returned this morning calling for a ‘chakka jaam’ with more fire, louder slogans, bigger banners and a much larger protest demanding speedy action in the case.

Responding to the ‘chakka jaam’ call of the JNU Students Union, hundreds of students and concerned citizens from the neighbourhood joined the protest today and blocked the Munirka junction of the outer Ring Road for from 11 am to 2 pm. The blockade was lifted only after the protestors were informed that four of the culprits have been arrested and the two absconders are also being pursued. Girl students made a human chain at Munirka mor halting the traffic saying that “fellow students, sisters are getting raped. We stand in solidarity for the girl and we stand together against the animosity in such culprits.”

Citizens were visibly shocked and upset over the state of things. Protestors held several banners screaming slogans like “zero tolerance”, “Shame Delhi Shame”, “Khot teri nazar ka, aur doshi banun main?”, “Hinsa nai sammaan chaiye, jeene ka adhikar chaiye”, “mere chehre se sundar meri himmat hai” outside the police station today.

“Such incidents instill fear in women. It’s time to instill fear in such people with a historic treatment of the case. no more shirking of responsibility. The government and the police has to be answerable this time,” said Pragya Juneja, a protestor at Muirka mor today.

“Tomorrow evening JNU Student Union (JNUSU), in co-ordination with women’s organisations and concerned citizens of Delhi will continue the struggle at India Gate. We urge maximum number of people to join in. Despite massive uproar, both outside and inside Parliament, the response of the Home Minister and the Delhi Police Commissioner to the brutal gang-rape incident is disappointing and routine. Two of the culprits are yet to be apprehended while the 23-year-old victim is fighting for her life,” said JNUSU president Lenin Kumar.

Haridwar: Women activists have demanded death sentence for the Delhi gangrape accused. At a meeting called under the aegis of the Mahila Utpiran Nivaran and the Nirbal Jan Kalyan Samiti here, women activists said rapists should not go scot-free after committing such a heinous crime. Vimla Pandey, co-founder of the Mahila Utpiran Nivaran Samiti, said of late, many such shocking incidents had come to light in metropolitan cities.