CAA: 700 march to Jantar Mantar
POLICE ALLOWED THE PEACEFUL MARCH TO PROCEED TO JANTAR MANTAR, DESPITE PROHIBITORY ORDERS AT MANDI HOUSE
NEW DELHI: At least 700 people, including students, teachers, and activists, on Tuesday assembled at Mandi House to march to Jantar Mantar on Tuesday to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), marking the 12th day of agitation against the amended law in the capital which has seen violence and subsequent police crackdown.
The police allowed the peaceful march to move to Jantar Mantar, despite prohibitory orders in force at Mandi House under section 144 of the CRPC, amidst heavy deployment of security personnel along the route. Earlier, the police had denied permission for the march.
The protest was spearheaded by Yogendra Yadav’s Swaraj Abhiyan and students of the Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU). “It is unfortunate that in our country, the police does not give permission for anything. We had approached police for permission four days ago but on Monday night, we were informed that we do not have permission to protest,” Yadav told media persons.
The gathering and the protest march briefly disturbed vehicular traffic movement on the route.
Delhi traffic police had to issue advisories on social media, alerting commuters that Sansad Marg was closed for traffic due to demonstration in the afternoon. Traffic personnel were also deployed in New Delhi areas to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
Many people with life-size portrait cutouts of freedom fighters and Dalit icons such as BR Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Abul Kalam Azad, and Savitribai Phule made their presence felt at Jantar Mantar. Along with the citizenship law, protesters also shouted slogans against the central government and the alleged police brutality at Jamia Millia Islamia and other places.
On December 15, protests in the capital took a violent turn after protesters at Jamia Millia Islamia clashed with police following which police entered the campus and allegedly lathicharged students.
Violence was also reported from Seelampur, Daryaganj and Seemapuri. As many as 64 protesters, including Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad, were arrested and over 700 were temporarily detained for allegedly being involved in violence, attacking security personnel, and torching private and as well as public vehicles.