Three Tibetan protestors hurt in police firing
January 15, 2001: Three Tibetan protestors were injured while protesting against the Chinese leader Li Peng as he returned from Agra. The incident occurred at 6pm(Jan 15) when about 40 youths were gathered outside Li’s hotel Taj Palace were fired upon by the police.
“We had assembled at the Sardar Patel Marg and were witing for Li Peng’s car and shouting sologans. Then suddenly the police resorted to lathi (baton) charge and before we knew it there were sounds of gunshots,” the national daily The Indian Express quoted Tenor. In the ensuing melee the group got scattered and a “policeman hit Tenor with the butt of the gun” resulting in him being hospitalised.
The injured Tashi (18) was admitted to the LNJP hospital while the other two Pasang (19) and Tenor (17) were admitted at Ram Manohar Lohin hospital.
The Delhi Police says the shots were fired in self-defence.
Earlier in Agra, a group of about 50 Tibetan protestors was lathi charged and arrested by the police. According to the Hindi language daily Rashtriya Sahara, “The protestors were detained till Li Peng left Agra for Delhi. According to another Hindi language daily, Dainik Jagran, female protestors in Agra were “brutally assaulted” by the security personnel.