Chandigarh police deploy drones to drop tear gas on sword‑wielding protesters

At around 2 pm, a small group of demonstrators managed to push through a barricade and reached a location where they were seen brandishing swords. The confrontation unfolded in a public area of Chandigarh, drawing the attention of nearby police officers.

Police responded by deploying a drone that released tear gas shells toward the crowd. The aerial platform allowed officers to disperse the protesters from a distance, marking a shift in how law enforcement handles violent demonstrations in the city.

The use of the drone represents a newer tool in the police arsenal, one that was not widely reported in earlier incidents. By dropping tear gas from above, officers aimed to create a barrier between themselves and the armed demonstrators without having to approach directly.

While the exact number of participants and the subsequent outcome of the clash were not detailed in the report, the episode underscores the growing reliance on aerial technology in urban policing. Authorities in Chandigarh have been observed integrating such equipment into crowd‑control strategies in recent months.

Other cities have also seen police experiment with drone‑based crowd control. In Chandigarh, the recent incident marks one of the first publicly observed uses of such technology during a protest.

The episode has drawn attention from local observers, though no official statements have been released regarding the appropriateness of the response.

Source: Hindustan Times