Groups of men from right-wing organisations threatened and assaulted protesters and journalists in Connaught Place and near the MCD Civic Centre on Saturday, even as more than 25,000 security personnel held the centre of the Capital against the protest.
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Near Palika Bazaar at 2.30pm, a group of more than 30 men who said they were from the Bajrang Dal shouted slogans and threatened journalists. "You all are showing fake news for CJP. We will protect Delhi Police since they can't use arms against you," one of them shouted. Police chased the men away and detained some of them half an hour later.
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Many of the men were seen beating protesters in front of police personnel, including instances at Connaught Place that unfolded in front of HT reporters.
{{/usCountry}}Many of the men were seen beating protesters in front of police personnel, including instances at Connaught Place that unfolded in front of HT reporters.
{{/usCountry}}Near the MCD Civic Centre, a confrontation between protesters and men from the Hindustan Raksha Dal turned violent when the men began dragging, assaulting and threatening women and men on the street.
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In one video of an assault at the location, which spread widely on social media within hours, protesters were seen being slapped, kicked and assaulted. The video, which HT has not verified, showed a young woman being dragged and beaten by two men until her sister pulls her away. "Nobody came to save me. Delhi police saw everything," the woman says in the video.
Senior Delhi Police officers said police had rescued the woman, helped her and removed the men from the spot. No FIR has been filed against the men at the time of reporting.
HT reached out to the Bajrang Dal, several Delhi Police spokespersons and the deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), but received no response.
In another video, purportedly shot near Connaught Place, men attack a protester with brass knuckles and tear his T-shirt.
A 21-year-old media student from Shahdara, who was hiding at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and declined to be named, said he and two friends had been targeted by both the police and the men. "My two friends and I have been facing assault because of police as well as these right wing goons. They entered the protest not once but thrice since last night. Police didn't even stop them. They hit my friend on the head but he managed to escape. We were making videos as we are media students. But they threatened to beat us and hurled abuses. My friend was near Civic Centre when they assaulted a couple of people. We left in fear," he said.