Anti-quota protests flare up in Capital; Police, medicos clash

New Delhi, Aug 24 (UNI) With the Government proposing to table the OBC reservation bill in Parliament tomorrow, anti-quota protests flared up again in the capital as medicos and students clashed with police near the Supreme Court during a demonstration.

Police used water cannon and teargas shells to disperse scores of demonstrators as they were trying to form a ''human chain'' near the court and submit a memorandum to the court registrar.

Several protestors were detained and some sustained injuries during the protest against the Government's move to implement OBC quota in institutes of higher education.

Angry students and residents doctors, raising anti-government, anti-reservation and anti-Arjun Singh slogans and carrying flags and placards, held demonstrations near India Gate.

While the protestors, wearing black arm bands, were trying to move towards the Supreme Court, where prohibitory orders are in place, Rapid Action Force and Delhi police stopped them.

The doctors and students have threatened to go on strike from tomorrow if the bill is tabled. A protest march to Parliament will will be held tomorrow, they said.

''Strike is the last option but if the government forces us we will take that step also.... We want to know why the government took the decision in such a hurry,'' Youth for Equality leader Anirudh Lochan said.

He said the representatives of protestors only wanted to submit the memorandum to the court, appealing for its intervention and stopping the bill from being tabled.

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