Citizenship Act stir: After Jamia Milia, now another Delhi protest gets violent
NEW DELHI: Fresh violence over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) erupted in the Capital on Tuesday afternoon, this time in Seelampur area of northeast Delhi, with protestors pelting stones at the police, damaging buses and vandalising public property.
The police had to fire tear gas shells as the protestors moved towards Jafrabad. They took about four hours to bring the situation under control.
Additional public relations officer (PRO) of Delhi Police Anil Mittal said 18 people were injured in the mob attack, including 11 police personnel. Two cases were registered at Seelampur and Jafrabad police stations for rioting, assault on public servant and property damage against unknown persons.
“The agitation was going peacefully when some anti-social elements targeted the police with stones. We used tear gas,” the officer said. Two buses, three motorcycles and two police booths were damaged.
Elsewhere in the city, sporadic protests continued. Traders and shopkeepers in Muslims majority localities — Jama Masjid, Lal Quan, Bara Hindu Rao, Okhla, Zakir Nagar, Seelampur and parts of Sadar Bazaar, shut their shops in solidarity. Protests also continued near Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday.
Imams and caretaker of local mosques and madrasas, housewives, Jamia alumni and students joined the protest. Mohammad Yousuf, an imam of a nearby mosque, said he had appealed to the protesters not to indulge in vandalism.
“We are here for peaceful protest to raise our demands,” he added.
With the national flag in their hands or draped around them, they raised slogans of freedom. Opposition parties chipped in by presenting a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind urging him to advise the Centre to drop the law.
The police arrested 10 people in connection with Sunday’s violence, but none of them was a student. Fifteen more have been identified from videos taken at the spot.
In its first FIR on Jamia violence, the police named former Congress MLA Asif Khan and six others as accused, including All India Students Association member Chandan Kumar, Students Islamic Organisation of India member Asif Tanha and AAP’s Chatra Yuva Sangarsh Samiti member Kasim Usmani.
10 held, none from Jamia
Ten people have been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted outside Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday, but none of them is a student, the police confirmed. Most of the detainees have a criminal background.
Shoot at sight: Minister
Junior railways minister Suresh Angadi wants anyone destroying public property shot at sight. “if anybody destroys public property, including Railway, I direct (officials) as a minister to shoot them at sight,” he said.