CAA PROTESTS: 300 DETAINED IN CAPITAL
NATIONWIDE Rallies for and against law held in Mumbai, no fresh violence in UP
NEW DELHI : Police detained over 300 protesters, including women, who tried to stage a demonstration outside the Uttar Pradesh Bhawan here on Friday against alleged police brutalities in the state following agitations over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, officials said. The Jamia Coordination Committee had called for a “gherao” of the UP Bhawan
NEW DELHI : Over 300 people, who had planned a protest at Uttar Pradesh Bhawan in Chanakyapuri against alleged police excesses in the state during agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act, were detained by Delhi police on Friday. A group of Jamia Millia Islamia students had given a call to gherao the UP Bhawan. However, protesters were not able to assemble at the spot after they were detained from areas around Chanakyapuri and the varsity.
Additional DCP (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said, “The protest was being carried out in violation of Section 144, which was imposed in the area, and without prior permission by the police. The demonstrators were asked not to protest. However, when the protesters didn’t follow police directions, 357 protesters —282 male and 75 female — were detained.” All detained protesters were released in the evening. Police also said that Badre Alam of the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI) was informed by the police to take prior permission to hold protest at designated places such as Jantar Mantar.
Those detained were taken to Mandir Marg and Connaught Place police stations. Many among detainees were students from Jamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and the Delhi University along with activists and residents.
“Almost all the buses which left from Jamia Nagar were detained by the police. Individual protesters who came through other means of transport were also detained separately,” the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) said in a statement. “The gherao did not take place because of the police crackdown nor was the memorandum prepared by JCC submitted.”
On Friday afternoon, scores of police personnel and jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force could be spotted on Sardar Patel Marg and Kautilya Marg, detaining protesters and speaking to auto-drivers asking them about the destination of their passengers. Many alleged even though they were not part of the protest and were present in area for other purposes, the police detained them.
“I was around Udyog Bhawan and I could see that the roads were barricaded so I just asked police personnel there if people were being detained. That is when they detained me. I was only going to visit a friend and was not there to protest,” said Arshan from Daryaganj.
Albab Ali, a protester who was detained, said, “This protest is a student-led revolution and we will hold demonstration because this is about our citizenship. Section 144 says a gathering of four people is prohibited. But we were just a group of three. Even then, we were detained.”
The police had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 around UP Bhawan, where protests were also carried out on Thursday.
Meanwhile, around 100 protesters also marched from Jor Bagh under drone surveillance to demand release of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and those arrested in Uttar Pradesh in the backdrop of anti-CAA protests. Azad was arrested by police on December 21 after he participated in the demonstrations held at Jama Masjid.
The protesters were carrying posters of BR Ambedkar and
Azad chanting slogans against the Union government and the CAA.
Former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Wajahat Habibullah, who was also present during Friday’s march, said the new law is against the basic principles laid down in the Constitution.
“The way people have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh for no fault of theirs, the government needs to remember that when the MPs we elect don’t raise voice for us that is when people take to streets to raise their voices themselves,” he added.
Entry and exit gates at Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station were closed on Friday for over an hour in view of protest marches being taken out near it in the city.
“Entry & exit gates of Lok Kalyan Marg are closed. Trains will not be halting at this station,” the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted.
(with agency inputs)
PROTESTERS ALSO MARCHED FROM JOR BAGH TO DEMAND RELEASE OF BHIM ARMY PRESIDENT CHANDRASHEKHAR AZAD