NEW DELHI: Hundreds of medical students were back on the Capital's streets on Friday protesting against the Government's proposed move to reserve 27 per cent seats in Central universities and institutes of higher learning for Other Backward Class students.

Braving the hot sun, the students marched from Lady Hardinge College to India Gate, causing major traffic jams in and around Central Delhi and breaking the security cordon at Rajpath before being stopped by the police through the use of water cannons and tear gas shells. The students courted mass arrest but were released later in the evening.

Strengthening the student protest on Friday was the support extended by junior doctors and senior residents of various hospitals across the Capital who went on a flash strike.

Protesting under the banner of "Youth for Equality'', students from the five premier medical colleges -- All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College, University College of Medical Sciences and Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College -- shouted slogans against Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh during their march to the Prime Minister's Office.

Having garnered support from a large section of the student community here, the protesters managed to make their way to India Gate but were stopped near Rajpath when they tried to block traffic on the route.

When some students managed to break the security cordon, tear gas shells were fired and water cannons used to stop them from moving further.

Although some students alleged that they had been roughed up, police officials categorically denied that they had lathi-charged the students.

With the students putting up tough resistance, they were finally detained and taken to Connaught Place, Chanakyapuri and Tughlaq Road police stations.

With their main demand continuing to be a clear stand on the matter by the Prime Minister and HRD Minister Arjun Singh, the protesters had at a press conference on Thursday warned that they would take the agitation to the next level soon.

"We have been requesting for time from the Prime Minister's Office but our demands are being completely ignored.

As medical students, we would only like to hold peaceful protests, but then controlling students becomes difficult at such times,'' said one of the student representatives.

Meanwhile, another anti-reservation group -- United Students -- today extended support to the agitation of medical students and demanded that all student outfits such as National Students' Union of India, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Students Federation of India come clean on their stand on reservation.

A pro-reservation rally was also taken out by the Joint Coordination Committee for Reservation at Jantar Mantar on Friday.

The rally saw students, teachers, writers, lawyers and social activists from various segments root for reservation in institutes of higher learning.

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