Anti-quota protest back; Students, police clash

New Delhi, Aug 22: Agitating medical students and police clashed here today as the medicos returned to the streets in protest against the Government's decision to implement OBC quota in elite educational institutions.

Police used water canon and teargas to stop the protestors, including students from Delhi University and JNU, from breaking security cordon and marching towards Congress President Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath Residence.

There were no reports of any injuries in the clash near Jantar Mantar where the students had gathered for a protest rally.

Agitated over the Government's decision to implement OBC quotas in elite educational institutions, medicos, under the banner of Youth for Equality (YFE), today took to streets here in protest against the move.

Raising anti-reservation, anti government and anti-Arjun Singh slogans and carrying flags and banners, they demanded that the government rewind the decision, taken last night, as the issue is still pending in court.

The medicos were back to the streets in protest over the same issue within almost three months of the 20-day strike in May when a Supreme Court had asked them to call of their agitation.

The government had assured them that their concerns regarding OBC reservation will be addressed.

The angry medical students and few resident doctors, from all medical colleges across the city, sought details from the government on implementation of 27 per cent OBC reservation in higher educational institutes.

''We will do everything possible to stop the Bill from being tabled in Parliament.... It is a very unfortunate decisions,'' AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association president and Youth for Equality member Binod Patra said.

''It is a politically motivated move and has to be stopped,'' he added.

Dr Patra said today's rally was a kick-start to the fresh round of protest against caste-based reservation.

''We had said earlier also said that we are not against any section of society but caste-based quotas are not to be justified in the name of affirmative action,'' he added.

''The aim of today's rally is to mobilise support against reservation,'' Dr Patra explained.

The protesting medical students were also joined by their counterparts from the Delhi University, JNU and IP University.

Waving placards, which proclaimed 'Down with Reservation' and 'Bring Back Merit', the students demanded that Government fulfil its ''promise'' of addressing the issues raised by them against quotas during the almost 20-day agitation in May.

''The Government has to be accountable. It had assured us that our concerns will be addressed... But this decision belies all those assurances?'' said YFE founding member Sasmit Sarangi.

About the doctors and students again going on medical strike, which had paralysed medical services in May for 20 days, Mr Sarangi said the decision had not been taken yet.

Five members of the United Stduents, who were peacefully demonstrating in Delhi University campus, were detained.

''We were not given any reason as to why we have been taken away....,'' Aditya Raj of the United Students said.

UNI