The national capital witnessed massive protests by the Dalit community on Wednesday led by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad for the demolition of Ravidas temple by Delhi Development Authority.

Azad was detained by the police after the protests took a violent turn in  Tughlaqabad area of South Delhi on Wednesday night, leaving several people, including policemen, injured.

A heavy police force was deployed in the area as the unrest spread. The police used canes to disperse the protesters and detained  around 50 people and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad a senior police officer said.

However, police have denied any reports of injury to the protesters.”At around 7.30pm, the mob that gathered at Ravidas Marg turned unruly and became violent despite persuasion and appeal by police to maintain peace and started pelting stones and attacking policemen,” DCP (southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said.

“Mild and reasonable force had to be used to disperse the unruly mob. Some policemen have sustained injuries in the incident. There are no injuries to the public. Some members of the unruly mob have been detained and being verified. Appropriate legal action is being taken in this matter,” he said, adding that a case was registered in the matter.

The protest, attended by a large number of people from different states showed the hurt sentiments of the Dalit community. According to police, violent protesters damaged, several vehicles and two motorcycles were set ablaze. DCP Biswal said a case of rioting and damaging public property will be registered against the people involved in the violence.

The Ravidas temple was demolished by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) earlier this month on the orders of the Supreme Court.

Earlier in the day, thousands of Dalits, who trooped into Delhi from various parts of the country in buses and trains, marched from Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan to Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, protesting against the demolition of the temple in the Tughlaqabad forest area.

The protest was attended by Delhi’s Social Justice Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and spiritual leaders from the community.

At the planned protest at the Ramlila Maidan, Chandrashekhar Azad announced that they would install a bust of Sant Ravidas at the demolished temple and began a march to the site along with his supporters.

He told reporters on the way to the temple, “The demolition of the temple was an insult to our community and I will go to any extent to fulfil the promise (of installing bust) made by me to my people. No force can stop us.”

The agitators were stopped from marching towards the temple in the Tughlaqabad area with the police forming a security ring around them.

The protest brought the movement of traffic in several parts of Delhi to a standstill, as police personnel struggled to bring the situation under control. The Delhi Traffic Police issued several advisories, urging commuters to avoid stretches which witnessed jams.

The issue has taken a political turn with various parties demanding that the temple be reconstructed either at the same spot in Tughlakabad forest area or at an alternative location. After the demolition of the temple, BSP chief Mayawati had alleged that the incident reflected a “casteist mentality.”

Following Mayawati’s allegation, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Delhi government had nothing to do with the demolition of the temple. Union Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had also said that the centre was determined to find a solution and possibly identify an alternative site to “relocate” the temple.