Anti-CAA protest: Delhi Police asks Shaheen Bagh protesters to end their 21-day protest

National

Delhi Police personnel on Sunday asked Shaheen Bagh protesters to end their 21-day dharna against the Citizenship Amendment Act on the main thoroughfare between Sarita Vihar and Kalindi Kunj. Police and CRPF personnel removed barricades from the area and gave an ultimatum to the protesters to clear the area by tonight or maximum by tomorrow, according to a social media post. It is now highly speculated on social media whether the move will be followed by police action in the event the protesters don’t concede to the demand of the police to clear the area.

Reports said some organizers had decided to back out if the protest because of public safety but the local people are still not ready to vacate the area. The major concern of the Delhi Police is to open the road, Road 13A, connecting Mathura Road, Kalkaji to Kalindi Kunj, and then to Noida. This road has been blocked by protesters for almost 3 weeks. The social media post ascribed the police hurry to clear the road now, to an important government event in Noida which would require the attendance of senior ministers, which is possibly why the police want the protesters to return home.

Latest update : police force are coming in huge numbers#Shaheenbaghprotest#JamiaProtests#peacefulprotests#ShaheenBagh pic.twitter.com/9kNil1qvbz

— Danish (@Danish91171952) January 5, 2020

#Shaheenbaghprotest#JamiaProtest #NoCAANoNRC #NoNRC #JamiaProtests #CAAProtest #CAA_NRC_NPR heavy police start tearing off posters in #shaheenbagh pic.twitter.com/kmrallm4ks

— Salamarpit (@salamarpit) January 5, 2020

some police forces came to #ShaheenBagh to vacate the protesters earlier today but the women and others refused to budge and they have retreated. im told there are police forces still present in large numbers in the area but the protests have resumed.

— Surekha (@surekhapillai) January 5, 2020

And in a scene that will give you goosebumps, here's the crowd at #ShaheenBagh singing the national anthem to ring in #NewYear2020 .#CAA_NRC_Protest pic.twitter.com/YjS30fmQDE

— Vakasha Sachdev (@VakashaS) December 31, 2019

But the protesters are not ready to step back, the local people, social activists and others who have joined the protest in the demand of rollback of CAA, promised to stand there until their demands would be acknowledged. The video on social media went viral where it can be said that the police force in large numbers has reached and trying to vacate the space.
The people of Shaheen Bagh had started the anti-CAA protest on December 15 with a group of 50 residents, social activists, lawyers, students. The protest had started in support of the Jamia Millia Islamia students who were lathi-charged by Delhi Police.