New Delhi:
Hundreds of civil service aspirants on Thursday night clashed with the police in North Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar, reportedly upset over the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issuing admit cards for the preliminary examination scheduled next month.
Nearly 700 people were protesting at the spot and soon the clashes turned violent. The protesters set fire to a Police Control Room (PCR) van and damaged a bus. Nearly 15 policemen were also injured when protesters started pelting stones.
The police had to resort to firing tear-gas shells and around 15 to 20 protesters were arrested following the violence. The police says the situation now is under control.
"Some 600-700 students came here and pelted stones at us. Minimal use of force was used to push them back. Some people have been arrested," said Madhur Verma, Deputy Commission of Police (North).
Civil Service aspirants, mainly students, have held prolonged protests and resorted to hunger strikes for several weeks demanding scrapping of Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), saying the exam pattern was putting Hindi and regional language aspirants at a disadvantage.
The prelims entrance exam is scheduled to be held on August 24.