Delhi lockdown: Anti-CAA protesters removed from Shaheen Bagh, 9 detained

In an early morning action amid the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, the police on Tuesday removed anti-CAA protestors at Shaheen Bagh, more than three months after they had occupied a critical road connecting Noida and south Delhi. Protestors were also cleared from anti-CAA protest site in Hauz Rani in south Delhi, Turkman Gate in Old Delhi and Jaffarabad in northeast Delhi on Tuesday morning, the police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) R P Meena said people were "requested" to vacate the Shaheen Bagh site as a lockdown has been imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, action was taken when they refused to move, he said. About 50 protesters, including men were at the venue when it was vacated.

Meena said a total of nine protesters, including six women were detained and taken to a nearby police station, after clearing the protest site at Shaheen Bagh which had become a model for other sit-ins across different parts of the country. The protest site at south Delhi's Hauz Rani was cleared at around 7 am after the police made an appeal, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur.

"Only two-three protesters were staging a protest against the newly amended citizenship law at the venue. After we made an appeal, they left the spot," Thakur said. In a tweet, the Delhi Traffic Police said, "Road no 13 A has been cleared for vehicular movement." Welcoming the move, BJP's national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Tuesday said clearing the protest site is in the best interest of everyone during the time of coronavirus outbreak.

The BJP leader said, "CAA doesn't take anybody's citizenship. It is about giving citizenship to minorities who are facing prosecution in the neighbouring countries." Shaheen Bagh was at the centre of BJP's poll campaign in Delhi. The agitators at Shaheen Bagh, mostly women, had been on a sit-in at the site since December 15 against the newly amended Citizenship Act, the proposed National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. They were also protesting against the police action against Jamia Millia Islamia students. The move comes two days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a complete lockdown in the national capital till March 31 in order to control the spread of coronavirus.

After the coronavirus breakout, the Delhi government had banned all kinds of gathering, including political. However, the protests continued. The Delhi Police has also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, which bans assembly of four or more people at one place, in the national capital till March 31. Coronavirus cases in the country rose to 519 and one more death from the infection was reported on Tuesday taking the toll to ten. Delhi has reported 30 cases. Shabina Khan, a protestor, said they were "deceived" by the police. On Monday evening, she said, the police asked them to vacate the site, following which more protestors gathered.

"We were then assured by the police that they will not evict us and said the area would be disinfected," she said. Khan said in the morning, a large police force evicted them from the spot and even took away all the belongings related to the protest.

Ritu Kaushik, who has been staging protest at the site since the initial days, said the protestors were vacated without any notice. She said the number of protestors at the site had also come down due to the coronavirus outbreak.

"We had been following all the necessary guidelines to avoid spread of the infection," Kaushik said. A decision about resuming the protest will be taken after the coronavirus situation comes under control, she added.

"Most of the protesters vacated the site after police made an appeal but a few refused. So, police detained them," a volunteer at the site requesting anonymity said. On Sunday, during the 'Janta curfew', only five women were at the site while others had left their slippers as a symbol of solidarity.

Unidentified men had also hurled "inflammable substance" near the site on Sunday but none of the five women protesters present there were injured..