Security raised in Shaheen Bagh area
NEWDELHI: Security was ramped up in south-east Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh after a right-wing group, Hindu Sena, made a call to clear the protest site in the area, where demonstrators have been agitating since December.
NEW DELHI: The deployment of security personnel in south-east Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh was ramped up as a precautionary measure, officials said.
The increased police presence came after a right-wing group, Hindu Sena, made a call to clear the blocked Shaheen Bagh road on March 1. However on Saturday, following police intervention, the group called off their proposed protest against the antiCAA sit-in.
Several women have been leading a sit-in on the road against the new citizenship law for more than two months, leading to the blockade of Road 13A, an arterial road that connects Delhi with Noida in UP.
Deputy commissioner of police (south-east Delhi) RP Meena said, “We had received information through social media that a large group of people will come to Shaheen Bagh from Madanpur Khadar on March 1. We took it seriously, in light of the current situation.”
“We came to know that locals will join in and carry out a peaceful protest. We called a meeting of the Aman Committee at different locations today, after which all stakeholders were called into the DCP office. Everyone agreed they will stay peaceful, and the peace march will be postponed indefinitely,” he said. Despite the group calling off the rally, there was heavy police deployment as a precautionary measure. Twelve companies, including two of female forces, have been deployed in Shaheen Bagh, 100 men each from four police districts have also been deployed along with the local police, Meena said. The Hindu Sena said in a statement that police pressured them to call off their protest on Sunday against the Shaheen Bagh agitation. The official twitter handle of the Shaheen Bagh stir said, “Today’s peace march has been postponed in view of Section 144 applied at Shaheen Bagh Jasola Vihar. Our peaceful protest continues. come join us!”
Afra Nadeem, a participant at the Shaheen Bagh protest said, “We are grateful to the police for their assistance but will not leave this spot until the government withdraws the law [CAA].”
“We have been a little apprehensive since the riots, but are continuing fearlessly. This is not a Hindu-Muslim fight. The number of people, of all religions, who have lost their identification documents in the arson in Bhajanpura, Maujpur, etc, imagine if they are asked to prove their nationality right now, will they be able to?” another woman at the protest, Noor Jahan, asked.