Water cannons, tear gas used on NSUI workers in Rewa:Protesters break barricades during march to BJP office; several detained

In Rewa on Monday, workers of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) attempted to gherao the BJP office. Police stopped them with barricades, leading to pushing and shoving between protesters and security personnel. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. Protest against government policies NSUI workers said the protest was against political interference in educational institutions, rising inflation, unemployment and the policies of the BJP government. The protesters were marching towards the BJP office when police tried to stop them by setting up barricades. Some workers tried to climb over and break the barricades, which led to clashes with the police. See, 5 pictures of the protest… Situation tense for 45 minutes The situation remained tense for about 45 minutes as protesters tried to move forward and police attempted to stop them. Police used water cannons and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Several NSUI workers were also taken into custody. Protesters climbed barricades When police blocked the route, some NSUI workers climbed on the barricades in an attempt to move ahead. Police used water cannons and tear gas Police used water cannons to push back the protesters. Tear gas shells were also fired to control the crowd. Several protesters detained Police later detained several NSUI workers during the protest. NSUI alleges police action NSUI district president Pankaj Upadhyay alleged that police used force against workers who were protesting peacefully. He said the protest was being wrongly suppressed and that students and youth were facing problems due to government policies. Police say situation under control Police officials said mild force was used to maintain law and order. They said the situation is now under control.