New Delhi : Expressing concern over the police crackdown against protesters at India Gate here Sunday, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said the incident was unfortunate but the situation warranted the action.

“It was unfortunate that we had to use force against protesters,” Neeraj Kumar told television channel CNN-IBN.

“India Gate is a tourist place. It is not a site for protests. They are welcome at Jantar Mantar and Ramlila Maidan as they are sites for protesting,” he said.

He added that a constable injured in stone pelting by protesters is in hospital and his condition is critical.

As many as 143 people, including 78 police personnel, were injured in the police cane-charge at India Gate.

The agitators were protesting the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in a moving bus in south Delhi by six men Dec 16. All the six accused have been arrested, while the victim is still critical.

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“Subhash Tomar is under observation in ICU,” hospital medical superintendent T.S. Sidhu told IANS.

A police officer said that the 65 protesters, who suffered injuries, were evacuated from Inida Gate around 5.30 p.m. Sunday.

According to Neeraj Kumar, majority of the injured protesters are males.

According to police, they had to use around 250 tear gas shells and repeated baton charges to evacuate protesters from the India Gate area.

“Hooligans among the protestors resorted stone pelting. Around 12 DTC buses and equal number of PCR vans were damaged in the day long incident. One vehicle of Delhi Doordarshan was also damaged by the hooligans,” said police.