Election officials, police meet to discuss situation at Shaheen Bagh

NEW DELHI: Amid ongoing antiCAA protests, local poll officials and police authorities held a meeting to take stock of the situation in Shaheen Bagh ahead of the elections, officials said on Sunday.

“A meeting was called for Saturday evening at the Shaheen Bagh Police Station. But due to a firing incident near the protest site, some of the officers could not join. So, we sat and discussed the situation afterwards,” a senior poll official in Okhla constituency said.

A man fired two rounds in the air at Shaheen Bagh before being taken into custody on Saturday.

Shaheen Bagh has been the epicentre of protests against the country’s new citizenship law and the incident had created panic among people.

Asked if the environment is conducive to hold elections, another senior officer said, “Yes, nothing to worry, authorities are extra vigilant”.

“The s i t uati on i s bei ng assessed across the city on a daily basis,” he added.

Saturday’s firing incident came two days after a youth fired a pistol at a group of anti-caa protesters near the Jamia university in which a student was wounded. Amid the ongoing protests, Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh had on Friday visited the area to assess the situation and preparedness ahead of the assembly elections, and said there was no obstruction in areas where poll activities will be conducted.

Singh said, police forces and election machineries are on “extra vigil” and assessing the situation all the time across the national capital. Shaheen Bagh falls in Okhla constituency.

The anti-citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the national capital and the agitation at Shaheen Bagh, which has been going on for nearly 50 days, has been thrusted by political parties into a poll issue.

Polls for the 70 assembly seats in Delhi are due on February 8 with counting of votes on February 11.

DELHI CEO RANBIR SINGH SAID POLICE AND ELECTION MACHINERIES ARE ON EXTRA VIGIL AND ARE ASSESSING THE SITUATION