Mass Gathering at India Gate Over Toxic Air Crisis
Hundreds of citizens converged at India Gate on Sunday, November 10, 2025, transforming the iconic monument into a stage for a powerful demonstration against the capital's severe air pollution. Wearing protective masks and holding poignant banners, an estimated 400 people assembled to voice their growing frustration with the deteriorating air quality, an annual menace that has become a public health emergency.
Clashes and Detentions as Police Intervene
The peaceful gathering took a tense turn when law enforcement officials declared through loudspeakers that India Gate is not a designated protest site. As clashes ensued between demonstrators and police officers, authorities moved to detain the crowd. A senior police officer confirmed that at least 80 protesters were taken into custody. They were packed into buses and transported to various police stations across the city.
The police justification for the action was that the protestors had blocked Man Singh Road, leading to significant traffic disruptions. "We requested them to move from there but they didn't. So they were detained in order to clear the road," the officer stated.
Voices from the Ground: From Grandparents to Activists
The protest was not just a gathering of activists; it represented a cross-section of Delhi society. The crowd included children and the elderly, all united by a common fear. Banners carried stark messages like "Breathing is killing me" and "I'm here for my grandchildren", highlighting the personal toll of the pollution crisis.
Jasmine, a mother of a fourteen-year-old, shared her anguish: "I'm a concerned mother... this polluted air is damaging their lungs and they can't play outside. This has been going on for several years but nothing is being done."
Environmental activist Vimlendu Jha accused the government of a lack of political will. "In the last fifteen days, the AQI has been at hazardous levels," Jha asserted. He further alleged data manipulation, claiming, "We have also seen water sprinkling exercises to manipulate data. The government is managing perception rather than trying to manage pollution." He highlighted that AQI readings at 22 monitoring centres had soared past 400 that very morning, a level considered hazardous.
Another protester, 67-year-old Suresh Kumar Ojha from Vasant Kunj, voiced concerns about local construction projects exacerbating the problem, holding a placard that pleaded to save his neighbourhood from further congestion and pollution.
Legal Standoff and the Right to Protest
The police had pre-emptively issued a letter to the organisers, citing Section 163 of the BNSS and orders from the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The communication explicitly stated that protests in the New Delhi District, except at Jantar Mantar, could not be permitted due to security, law and order, and traffic concerns.
Throughout the evening, officers were heard making announcements, urging people to disperse and directing them to seek permission to protest at the official site, Jantar Mantar. This incident underscores a continuing tension between citizens exercising their democratic right to protest and administrative regulations governing public spaces in the capital.
