Tuesday, August 22 2006 16:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Police today (Aug 22, 2006) resorted to the use of water canons and tear gas to disperse medical and Delhi University students in the heart of the Indian capital Tuesday protesting against caste-based reservations in institutions of higher learning.

The students, drawn from the prestigious All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Maulana Azad Medical College and Delhi University, were stopped near the Jantar Mantar monument here when they tried to break police pickets. "Some of the students were beaten up by policemen," said Anil Sharma, spokesperson of the resident doctors association at the all India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

"It was a peaceful protest but we were beaten up by the police and students received minor injuries during the scuffle," said Sharma.

He added that the students were marching towards the residence of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

"We wanted to meet Sonia Gandhi so that we can put our point of view before her. We believe that she will listen to our demands of reversing the cabinet decision on implementation of reservation and not present the bill in parliament," he added.

The central cabinet Monday evening decided to introduce a bill in parliament to provide 27 percent reservation for candidates from the other backward classes (OBCs) in government-aided institutes of higher education.

The bill, to be introduced in the ongoing monsoon session of parliament that concludes Friday, has angered sections of the student community again.

Said Deputy Commissioner of Police Anand Mohan: "The students broke the security cordon of the police so we had to use water canons and teargas to control the crowd." The students started gathering at Jantar Mantar around 10:30 am. Carrying placards, Indian tricolour and shouting anti-government slogans. The agitators protested for over three hours before trying to break the security cordon to meet Sonia Gandhi.

Students complained that even after holding a two-month-long agitation earlier and meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, the government had turned a deaf ear to their demands.

"We know the public opinion is with us and we have the right to protest against the decision of the government," said Binod Patro, president of the resident doctors association of AIIMS.

"We have contacted several medical colleges and universities across the country and they would soon join the agitation. We hope to turn it into a nationwide agitation so that the government will have to consider our demands," he said.

Added Sharma: "We are holding a meeting with all the resident doctors associations in the evening and will decide on our future course of action," said Sharma.

A section of the students of Delhi's medical colleges and resident doctors, as well as their counterparts in many other cities, had in April-May gone on a strike paralysing the healthcare services in public hospitals after the Government announced its policy to enhance educational quotas.