The crowds gathered in the Indian capital were stopped by police as they tried to march towards the president's palace. The protesters tried to break through barricades and police repeatedly fired tear gas and water cannons to push them back. At least a dozen people were injured by the shells and baton charges by the police, NDTV news channel reported.
"We want answers from the government. Why does the home minister, the chief minister, not come out to speak to us?" 21-year-old Anita Singh said. The crowds, largely comprising students, swelled through the day. "We want justice, we want justice," the protesters shouted waving banners and Indian flags. An effigy of one of the rapists was prominently displayed with a hangman's noose around its neck.
"We want strong action. We want the death penalty for the rapists, so that incidents like these do not happen again," a young woman interviewed by NDTV said.Six people have been arrested so far in connection with Sunday's incident. They are accused of raping the young woman on a moving bus, beating her and her companion with iron rods, and then throwing them off the bus. Under Indian law, convicted rapist face a maximum life sentence. "We will ask the prime minister to call an all-party meeting to discuss calling a special session of parliament to enhance the punishment for rape to the death penalty," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said.