New Delhi:
Around 60 protesters who stayed put at Raisina Hill to protest the gang-rape of a young girl were evacuated early this morning.
The protesters, who spend a chilly night in the open after they fought pitched battles with police throughout the day yesterday, were taken into a bus by the police to the Bawana stadium in North-west Delhi, which has been converted to a makeshift jail for detained protesters.
Many of the protesters, including women crawled under buses and were pulled out by the police.
Police also picked up demonstrators from outside Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence in the wee hours today.
In a surprise move last night, Mrs Gandhi came out of her residence and spoke to a few protesters for about 20 minutes.
According to one protester, Mrs Gandhi told them "I am with you. I can't tell when the justice will be delivered, but surely it will be. We will do something."
The protesters when asked for a deadline, she said, "I can't give you a deadline but action will be taken."
Mrs Gandhi met a few protesters outside her home this morning too.
The police is making all efforts to ensure that people are not allowed to gather in the area, which houses the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament and several other ministries after yesterday's protests got out of hand.
Seven metro stations near India Gate and Raisina Hill have already been closed from this morning till further orders. They are Patel Chowk, Udyog Bhavan, Race Course, Central Secretariat, Khan Market, Barakhamba Road and Mandi House.
Section 144 has been extended across the 34-km stretch that is New Delhi district.
(With PTI inputs)