Locals march with tricolour in Chandni Chowk amid heavy police presence

A group of people, claiming to be local residents, on Friday afternoon took out a parade in Chandni Chowk holding a big tricolour and shouting slogans against the farmers who are protesting against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws

A group of people, claiming to be local residents, on Friday afternoon took out a parade in Chandni Chowk holding a big tricolour and shouting slogans against the farmers who are protesting against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws.

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The protestors, according to local police, did not have permission to carry out the parade, prompting heavy police deployment in the area for about 2-3 hours.

“A group of 50-100 people with no masks or social distancing held on to a life-size tricolour and made two rounds starting from the Gauri Shankar mandir to the Town Hall. In their third and last round, they stopped at the fountain. Someone then spread a rumour that the group had entered the gurdwara, prompting heavy police deployment in the area,” said a resident of the area, who did not wish to be named.

A senior police official said the group was later dispersed after the DCP and a battery of police personnel in full riot gear carried out a march across the Chandni Chowk area.

“The counter protests, followed by the heavy police deployment, led to a lot of confusion and fear among the locals in the area,” said a member of the market association in the area, on condition of anonymity.

Deputy commissioner of police (north) Anto Alphonse said around 10-20 people from Chandni Chowk had gathered with a tricolor for carrying out a march. “We called in adequate number of policemen and the group was dispersed. There was no violence reported. No one was detained or arrested,” Alphonse said.

The DCP said sufficient police presence is being maintained in the area to ensure law and order.