Congress slams government over detention of protesters demanding clean air

The Congress connected Monday (November 10, 2025) attacked the Centre implicit the little detention of respective radical protesting astatine India Gate against the worsening aerial quality and said erstwhile the authorities is "failing miserably" successful its 'kartavya', the radical person to fulfil theirs.

Scores of people, including parents and biology activists, staged a protestation astatine India Gate connected Sunday against the worsening aerial prime successful the nationalist capital.

According to police, several protesters were detained for assembling without permission. They were aboriginal released.

Congress wide caput in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the iconic India Gate is connected Kartavya Path — truthful named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. "The citizens of Delhi who are protesting for amended aerial prime are lone wanting to transportation retired their ain Kartavya nether Article 51-A (g) of the Constitution of India which mandates them 'to support and amended the earthy environment....'," Mr. Ramesh said connected X.

"So wherefore are they being prevented by the Delhi Police to registry their hopeless interest astatine the atrocious aerial prime wherever they unrecorded and work?" the Congress person said. "When the authorities is failing miserably successful its Kartavya, the radical person to fulfil theirs," helium said.

Congress person Rahul Gandhi connected Sunday (November 10) had criticised the authorities aft respective radical protesting astatine India Gate against the worsening aerial prime were detained for assembling without support and asked wherefore citizens peacefully demanding cleanable aerial were being treated similar "criminals".

Mr. Gandhi had called for decisive enactment connected aerial contamination "right now, alternatively of attacking citizens asking for cleanable air".

He made the remarks connected X successful effect to a station by environmentalist Vimlendu Jha, who said that protesters were "taken away" and "shoved successful a bus".

Mr. Gandhi said, "The close to cleanable aerial is simply a basal quality right. The close to peaceful protestation is guaranteed by our Constitution. Why are citizens who person been peacefully demanding cleanable aerial being treated similar criminals?"

Air contamination is affecting crores of Indians, harming our children and the aboriginal of our nation, the Leader of Opposition successful the Lok Sabha said. But the government, which came to powerfulness done "vote chori" simply doesn't care, nor is it adjacent attempting to lick this crisis, Mr. Gandhi said.

"We request to instrumentality decisive enactment connected aerial contamination close present alternatively of attacking citizens asking for cleanable air," helium said.

The protesters, galore of them mothers accompanied by children, said they had gathered to request urgent authorities enactment to guarantee cleanable air.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Devesh Kumar Mahla, said the detentions were preventive successful nature. "Only Jantar Mantar is designated arsenic a protestation tract wherever support tin beryllium sought by pursuing owed procedure," helium had said.