Police fired water cannons and tear gas at opposition party activists on the streets of the Indian capital on Tuesday, as thousands of anti-government protesters rallied against the ruling Congress party over corruption scandals. Youth demonstrators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) marched on parliament demanding the resignation of a prominent ruling Congress party politician over corruption, the latest move to pressure the beleaguered government to act on graft.
A series of high-profile scandals has eroded trust and stymied policymaking in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's administration in recent months. The opposition also staged a protest inside parliament forcing its closure at a time when it is slated to introduce reform legislation including one on easier land acquisitions. The demonstrators were seeking the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit after a state auditor slammed costly tenders given to questionable contractors for the 2010 Commonwealth Games on her authority. Dikshit has denied any wrongdoing.
Police wielding batons charged at the protesters after they jumped over barricades and threw stones at police, according to a Reuters witness. A Delhi police official told a local TV channel that 20-25 people had been injured in the clashes. "Please protest in a peaceful manner," Anurag Thakur, the leader of the BJP's youth wing, appealed to the protesters.
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