The Shaheen Bagh area is no place than everyone in the Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region) area knows owing to the protest that was on since December against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
As the curfew was imposed in various states and union territories (UTs) in the country, including Delhi, to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Delhi police cleared the protest site.
The Delhi police personnel evicted the protestors from the Shaheen Bagh, some force was used as the protestors showed resistance. Only a few women protestors were there at the Shaheen Bagh area while the others had left their footwears at the protest site showing their solidarity.
Delhi Police detained 3 men and 6 women from Shaheen bagh for violation of Section 144.
The DCP South East Delhi said, “People at the protest site in Shaheen Bagh were requested today to clear the site as lockdown has been imposed. But after they refused, action was taken against violators as the assembly was unlawful. Protest site has been cleared. Some protesters have been detained.”
#WATCH Delhi Police clears the protest site in Shaheen Bagh area, amid complete lockdown in the national capital, in wake of #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/N6MGLTLs5Z
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2020
Before the evacuation, the Delhi Police tightened the security at Shaheen Bagh and imposed Section 144 under CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code). The security has been heightened at the Jaffrabad area as well.
Jaffrabad was the area where, in December and January, riots broke out.
Also Read: Protest Against CAA Turns Violent in Jaffrabad, Pelting on Police
Similar anti-CAA protests which were underway at other sites in Delhi including Turkman Gate, Hauz Rani, Jamia University, and Jaffrabad were also cleared. People from these areas were detained as well.
As the Delhi Police started enforcing the curfew in these areas at around 8:00 AM on Tuesday, Papamilitary forces were deployed to assist them and keep the area under control.
As the Coronavirus tries to take a grip of the country, various cities in the country imposed a lockdown, including Delhi, though many people had left the protesting site at Shaheen bagh, some still continued their protest, potentially bringing people in harm’s way and reach of COVID-19.
The Delhi Government announced that since 6:00 AM Monday, the lockdown was imposed in the national capital, suspending all non-essential services and public transport services including the Delhi Metro until the 31st of March.
On Sunday, some unidentified men threw “inflammable substance” near the site at Shaheen Bagh where people were protesting but nobody was injured.
