Hundreds of Maoist activists were arrested Thursday when they tried to hold a rally in the Indian capital without official permission to do so.
The rally was to be held at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds in the heart of the city.
However, when the police refused permission, the activists, including women, from various states marched towards the Red Fort monument in a crowded area of Delhi.
Since they had no permission to take out a procession there too, they were arrested and taken in buses to different police stations.
Police said the protestors would be detained for two hours. One estimate put the number arrested at about 2,000.
Varvara Rao, a revolutionary writer and a leader of the protestors, slammed the central government.
"The police said (not permitting the rally) was a political decision. We condemn that. We are sad that the Congress government, which was supposed to undo the undemocratic ways of the previous government, is doing the same thing," he said.
Thursday's rally was to mark the formation of the Communist Party of India-Maoist in September following the unity of the People's War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).
The activists came from states such as Uttaranchal, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.