New Delhi:
The Delhi Police has said it used a "mild lathicharge" to disperse a group of about 50 to 60 students from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University, who were protesting near the Rashtrapati Bhavan against the death of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh who was brutally beaten at a Delhi market last month.
The police said the students were attempting to walk from Vijay Chowk towards the president's palace where several dignitaries had gathered for a function. The police cordoned off the Vijay Chowk after it was cleared.
A protester said, "We have been targeted since long. We are protesting to give the message that this is enough now. Treat us equal. In India there is the right to protest so why are they arresting us?" The police, however, said that no one was arrested.
Nido Tania, 20, was beaten with iron rods and sticks by a group of men after he had an altercation a shopkeeper and others at the Lajpat Nagar market in south Delhi on January 29. Nido's friends and family say the men shouted racial slurs at him and made fun of his dyed blonde hair.
Four people have been arrested in the case, including the shopkeeper; they will be charged with murder.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had earlier this week ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder case of Nido, after his family met the minister.
Nido's murder has led to a national debate on discrimination against Indians from the North East.
Politicians across parties have condemned his death and vowed to work with activists and students from the North East to address their recurring concerns of being racially targeted in Delhi and other cities.