Friday, May 12 2006 14:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Police lobbed tear gas shells and used water cannons to keep medical students, protesting the government's controversial reservation proposal here today (May 12, 2006),from moving towards Prime Minister's Office in South Block.

The agitating students pelted stones at the police as they were stopped from moving towards PMO from India Gate, leading to a scuffle between them and the police personnel.

Police then resorted to use of water cannon and tear gas to control the protestors who courted mass arrest and were subsequently taken away in police buses.

Over a 1000 students, who took out the march from Lady Hardinge College with the aim of going to PMO to lodge their protest against the proposed move to hike quota in institutions of higher education, had reached the India Gate Lawns via Connaught Place when they encountered several police barricades in the Central district.

The barricades did not allow them to stick to their original planned route.