Were Madvi Hidma’s Posters Displayed At Delhi Pollution Protest? Here’s What The Viral Videos Reveal

Eliminated Maoist commander Madvi Hidma on Sunday became the center point of Delhi Air Pollution protests. According to reports, a demonstration over Delhi’s worsening air pollution at India Gate on Sunday evening escalated into controversy after protesters displayed posters of top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, who was killed in a police encounter in Andhra Pradesh last week.

Tensions rose when the group attempted to block traffic and allegedly used pepper spray on police officers trying to disperse them. An FIR has been registered and a broader investigation is underway into how the Hidma posters appeared at the site.

Delhi Police has now arrested 15 protesters for allegedly attacking government officials, following reports that demonstrators opposing toxic air had sprayed chilli on personnel stationed at India Gate the previous day.

Police Disperse Delhi Air Pollution Protest, Poster of Madvi Hidma Appear

As the sit-in continued, security personnel reached India Gate and instructed protesters to leave. When the group refused to vacate, officers began removing them individually.

A photograph from the November 23 protest went viral on social media, showing a young demonstrator pinned face-down on the pavement while a police officer presses his hand against the protester’s face. The image circulated shortly after some participants were seen holding posters of Hidma during their call for urgent action on Delhi’s deteriorating air quality.

‘Long Live Hidma’ Slogans Reportedly Raised

The demonstration, initially organised to highlight the alarming Air Quality Index (AQI), saw some protesters chanting slogans such as “Long Live Hidma,”  according to reports. Police said the crowd was cleared from India Gate because a Supreme Court order designates Jantar Mantar as the authorised site for protests.

According to officers, a section of the demonstrators used chilli spray on personnel, injuring three to four policemen who were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

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DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla told PTI that the incident was unprecedented, noting that “several officers had been sprayed in the eyes and face.” Police said an FIR has been filed for obstructing government work, and investigators will examine how Hidma’s posters were circulated at the protest.

Delhi Air Pollution Protest

The gathering was organised by the Delhi Coordination Committee for Clean Air, which accused the Delhi government of relying on “cosmetic measures” such as water sprinklers and cloud seeding to address the capital’s toxic air.

“When the state makes the air itself poisonous, it becomes necessary for people to unite and raise their voices for their own survival,” the group said in a statement, describing the city’s air as a “serious risk” to public health.

On Monday, Delhi’s AQI again hovered close to the ‘severe’ category, recording 397. Out of the city’s 39 air-quality monitoring stations, 20 registered severe pollution.

Who Was Madvi Hidma?

Madvi Hidma, among the most feared Naxal commanders and a key strategist of the CPI (Maoist), was killed on November 18 during an encounter in the Maredumilli forests of Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district.

Security forces said his group was intercepted while fleeing from Chhattisgarh following weeks of intelligence alerts about Maoist movement along the tri-state border.

Born in Purvati village in south Sukma, Hidma joined Maoist ranks after Class 10 and rose to lead People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army Battalion 1 while also serving on the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. He was linked to at least 26 major attacks in Bastar and carried a bounty of over ₹1 crore.

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