"DELHI BANDH": The scene on the Delhi-Loni border on Monday as protesting Gujjars block the roads with burning tyres. - PHOTO: ANU PUSHKARNA

NEW DELHI: The last day of the six-day agitation by the Gujjar community in Rajasthan turned out to be a turbulent affair for Delhi before word came in the evening about the breakthrough. Right from Monday morning agitating members of the community laid siege to all entry points to the Capital, resorting to arson and stone-throwing in some areas and disrupting traffic at many others in response to a "Delhi bandh" call issued by a Gujjar organisation.

Thirty-seven people were arrested in different parts of the city during the day and over a dozen security forces personnel, including two Border Security Force constables, were injured in clashes with protesters. Five buses — four belonging to Delhi Transport Corporation and one to Uttar Pradesh Roadways — were torched in Aya Nagar, Jasola, Usmanpur and Khajoori Khas, while half-a-dozen DTC buses and private vehicles were damaged in different parts of South Delhi and North-East Delhi.

The worst hit was the Gujjar-dominated Aya Nagar in South Delhi where mobs torched two DTC buses and a truck and also hurled stones at the police and vehicles plying on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road. Traffic on this busy road was disrupted for more than two hours and the police had to resort to a lathi-charge and teargas to disperse the protesters.

In adjoining Badarpur, the protests began on a peaceful note with the Gujjars shouting slogans against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and burning her effigy. However, the agitation later took a violent turn when the protesters hurled stones at DTC buses plying on the Mehrauli-Badarpur road. Several passengers sustained injuries. "We have registered a case of rioting and causing damage to public property," said a senior police officer.

Similarly four private vehicles were damaged in the Gujjar-dominated villages in Najafgarh and 15 people were detained. Several areas in Kapashera also witnessed traffic jams and peaceful protests. The agitators burnt tyres and stopped traffic at several intersections in the area.

In North-East Delhi, a DTC bus was set afire and three buses and an auto-rickshaw were damaged. "Two persons, including a policeman, were injured in the incident. A case of rioting has been registered and a dozen people have been arrested," said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-East) Rupinder Kumar.

In East Delhi, protest marches were taken out and traffic was disrupted at several points on National Highway-24. "A crowd of 300-odd demonstrators reached Ghazipur Crossing around 10 in the morning and blocked traffic for over two hours. The protesters also disrupted traffic near Samachar Apartments in Mayur Vihar Phase I and Noida Mor by placing burning tyres on the road," a police officer said.

In Krishna Nagar, the protesters forced shopkeepers to down their shutters.

Office-goers and commuters had a tough time reaching their destinations in the morning. The bandh also affected supply of essential commodities such as milk, fruits and vegetables from the neighbouring States. Jeeps and auto-rickshaws carrying milk containers from the nearby areas of Uttar Pradesh were stopped at the border. Several trucks carrying vegetables and other essential commodities were also not able to reach the Ghazipur wholesale market.

"Trucks carrying vegetables and fruits either arrived late or did not reach at all," said Brijmohan of the Azadpur Fruit Merchants' Association.

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