Protest by Dalits against temple demolition turns violent

A protest by Dalits against the demolition of a Ravidas temple in south Delhi turned violent on Wednesday, prompting police to resort to "mild lathicharge" and use tear gas to disperse the crowd, an official said.

A group of protesters turned violent during their march to the site of the temple demolished by the Delhi Development Authority on August 10 on the orders of the Supreme Court.

Some policemen were injured in the incident, the senior official said.

Police lobbed tear gas shells and used "mild lathicharge" to disperse the crowd, he said.

Dalit outfit Bhim Army claimed their leader Chandrashekhar Azad had been detained and that the police fired at the protesters.

Earlier in the day, thousands of Dalits, who trooped into Delhi from various parts of the country in buses and trains, marched from Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan to Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, protesting the recent demolition of the temple in the Tughlakabad forest area.