Protests against CAA continue in Delhi for 11th day
New Delhi
Protests continued for the 11th day in the national Capital with political leaders, students and common citizens gathering at different places on Monday to voice their concerns against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Senior Congress leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, sat on a dharna at Rajghat against the act and in solidarity with students who were allegedly beaten by the police during the anti-CAA protests in the last two weeks.
At Rajghat, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders such as Ahmed Patel, and Jyotiraditya Scindia were present.
With spiritual hymns being played in the background, party workers waived flags and raised slogans such as “Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai, Sab hai bhai bhai” each time a leader addressed the crowd. They were joined by members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the party’s student wing, a few students of Delhi University and some locals.
Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi read out the Preamble of the Constitution of India. The party members observed a minute’s silence in support of those who died in different parts of the country protesting against the citizenship law as well as against the government’s policies, which they said was “dictatorial” .
All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal said it was important to read the Preamble and remind everyone about the framework of our constitution because the new law was against the spirit of the Constitution.
Around the same time, there were protests outside the Uttar Pradesh Bhavan and Assam Bhavan in Chanakyapuri. The protesters were detained at both spots for defying prohibitory orders and holding protests outside government buildings.
Deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), Eish Singhal said 139 protesters, including 79 women and 60 men, were detained from the spot and released within a few hours.
Former JNU Students union president N Sai was among those detained. “We went there to hold a peaceful protest against the UP government over the way they are cracking down on citizens. However, police detained all of us and did not let us protest. Police thrashed and manhandled the protesters,” he said.
Bhim, a member of Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), one of the organisations that called for the protest at Assam Bhavan, said, “The police was not even checking if those around the area were protesters. People with bags looking like students were detained.” The detained students were released in the evening.
Outside the Jamia Millia Islamia campus, students and locals held a protest and shouted slogans against the Centre. Outside the campus, students held a talk on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and CAA.
Later in the evening, Jamia Teachers’ Association held a candle light march at India Gate to register their dissent against CAA. Students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) also joined the march.
Over the last 11 days, police arrested 63 persons from across the city and detained at least 800. The detained persons were released the same day. Police said they were detained for defying prohibitory orders and gathering at different places to protest against the act.
Among the arrested was Chandrashekhar Azad, chief of UP-based Dalit organisation Bhim Army. Police are probing Azad’s involvement in Friday’s violence at Delhi Gate. On Friday, a group of protesters torched a private vehicle and pelted stones following which police used water cannons and lathi-charged to disperse the protesters.
In Delhi, the protests turned violent in at least three places – Delhi Gate, Jamia Nagar and Seelampur. Over 200 persons, including police personnel, sustained injuries in the clashes.
At the three places, the protesters torched five vehicles and damaged cars and two-wheelers. Police registered 10 different FIRs at eight police stations under sections of attempt to murder, rioting, arson and obstructing government officials from doing their duty.
