Internet Slams Organisers Of Delhi Pollution Protest For Hijacking Movement: 'You have Betrayed Trust'

Social media users have slammed Scientists for Society (SFS), an organisation claiming to be one of the co-organisers of Sunday's (Nov 23) anti-pollution demonstrations in Delhi. SFS issued a statement on Monday (Nov 24), clarifying its stance after the protest turned violent as some of the agitators attacked police personnel with chilli spray while being removed from the site. A group of people even raised slogans supporting Madvi Hidma - a top Maoist leader who was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh earlier this month, prompting legal action.

SFS said it was part of the protest under the banner of Delhi Against Clean Air, with its focus solely on the capital city's air pollution crisis.

"We firmly believe that this protest was solely against air pollution. Our objective was to educate and organise people around the severe pollution crisis, exposing the government and this profit-centric system," read the statement by SFS.

It claimed that two organisations, Himkand and bsCEM (Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch) raised slogans about Maoist leader Hidma.

"Some organisations, Himkhand and bsCEM, began raising slogans about the extra-judicial encounter of CPI (Maoist) leader Hidma. While we strongly believe that there should be a high-level inquiry into the extra-judicial encounters of Hidma and his associates and we unequivocally condemn these encounters, we also believe that this was not the appropriate platform to raise this issue. Ordinary students and citizens had joined this protest specifically to address the issue of pollution."

SFS said both Himkhand and bsCEM did not inform about their plans to raise the "unrelated or adventurist" slogans prior to the protest.

"As soon as we realised what was happening, we first tried to stop them; when they refused to respond, we immediately distanced ourselves from them and continued addressing the common people and carrying forward the protest separately," it said.

"We also want to reiterate that this act on part of these aforementioned organizations is completely undemocratic, totally against the ethics, mandate and common minimum program of the issue-based joint front based on the issue of pollution crisis in Delhi."

SFS's statement on the disruption of the India Gate protest by bsCEM and the Himkhand yesterday
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'You Have Betrayed The Trust'

The clarification, however, did not go down well with social media users who criticised SFS and the related entities for hijacking the protest.

"You all have betrayed the trust placed by the good people of Delhi. Is SFS a political organisation or do they have any scientific work to their credit?" said one user, while another added: "I was so angry that those Maoists hijacked the innocent delhi pollution protest and gave the govt fodder to say its an extreme leftist protest when its not political!! Do they not have any sense? They could have protested at a distance."

Others called out SFS for its statement regarding the killing of Hidma. "Calling the killing of a terrorist as “extrajudicial” shows that ‘Scientists for Society' or whatever they call themselves are thick as thieves with the Hidma Gang," said one user.

A second commented: "Himkhand approached you. You didn't know what or who they are? All these organisations are the same. Hypocrites to the core. Have no solution to anything but cry about everything. Your statement does nothing good. "Extra judicial killing" what a load of c**p!!"

According to the police, the protesters sat in the middle of the road at India Gate without permission for around an hour, raising slogans and waving posters. When the police intervened and asked the demonstrators to stop the protest, they reportedly turned violent, broke baricades and sprayed chilli spray, injuring three to four cops.