SHAHEEN BAGH PROTESTERS SUSPEND MARCH TO MEET SHAH
NEW DELHI: Protesters from Shaheen Bagh called off their march to Union home minister Amit Shah’s residence on Sunday after the Delhi Police refused to give them permission to meet him. The protesters later submitted an application to the police seeking an appointment with him to discuss their apprehensions about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
RP Meena, DCP (southeast), said the protesters were stopped because they did not have appointment with the minister.
nNEWDELHI: Protesters from Shaheen Bagh called off their march to Union home minister Amit Shah’s residence on Sunday after the Delhi Police refused to give them permission to meet him. The protesters later submitted an application to the police seeking an appointment with him to discuss their apprehensions about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
The protesters had, on Saturday, announced they will march to Shah’s residence to hold discussions with him. The move came after Shah reportedly said he would give time to those willing to discuss the CAA, including Shaheen Bagh protesters.
Around 2pm, hundreds of protesters, led by the elderly women of Shaheen Bagh — who have become the face of the sit-in protest, tried to march to Shah’s Krishna Menon Marg residence. With heavy police deployment at all entry and exit points on Road 13A in Shaheen Bagh — where the protest has been taking place for the last two months — the protesters were stopped at a police barricade. Following this, a deleappointment,
gation comprising the elderly women and other representatives met officers on duty there.
Bilqees Begum, 82, one of the protesters, said they assured the police they would not carry out the march without permission. “The police denied us permission to march to Amit Shah’s house. We have submitted a written application to the police for an which they have forwarded to higher authorities. We have been sitting on protest to save our Constitution for two months. We cannot violate any rule or regulation, “she said.
“Rounds of negotiations with protesters were held, and they were persuaded to not take the march out, and were also asked to take a prior appointment from the home minister,” said RP Meena, DCP (south-east).
“We requested the protesters to form a delegation and let us know the strength. We will help them seek an appointment with whoever they want,” he said.
Shabnam Abdul Mannan, a protester, said they would wait for permission to be granted. “We have also requested the police if they can allow a delegation to go meet the home minister. We cannot take law-and-order into our hands. We will wait for permission, and continue our protest in Shaheen Bagh,” she said.
Protesters returned to their tent on Road 13A around 3.30pm and continued their agitation.
Meanwhile, ahead of the apex court’s scheduled hearing on Monday over the plea filed against the blockade in Shaheen Bagh, protesters said they are hopeful the court would pronounce a decision in their favour.