Police trying to push back protesters in Jamia Nagar. (Express Photo: Abhinav Saha)
At least 16 people were injured in a clash between anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters and the Delhi Police in Jamia Nagar on Monday, after the protest march was stopped from moving towards Parliament.
While most of those injured complained they were kicked in their stomach, one woman complained of injury to her private parts, said Dr Abdul Nazar, director of Al-Shifa Hospital. He said initial investigations showed no signs of external injury on the woman, and an ultrasound test was being conducted to check for internal injuries. Jamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar along with other varsity officials visited the hospital to see the injured students.
#Watch | Delhi Police push back anti-CAA protesters who breached barricades to march towards Parliament.https://t.co/HcCSdyP4Kp pic.twitter.com/VZ9MSEm0dv
Ten days after a man opened fire on a group of protesters in Jamia Nagar, injuring one, hundreds of Jamia Millia Islamia University students, along with residents of nearby Jamia Nagar, took to the streets to register their protests against the CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
Jamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar meets an injured student in hospital on Monday.
Trouble erupted when the police denied permission for the march — “sansad ghero” protest — and put up barricades to stop the protesters from advancing towards Parliament. Despite repeated appeals from the police to end their agitation, the demonstrators clambered over the barricades, leading to a scuffle between the two sides.
Later, Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh organised a candle march condemning the alleged police brutality on Jamia students.
Meanwhile, another group of protesters, including students and civil society members, marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar. A large number of police and paramilitary personnel walked along with them to take care of law and order. “The protesters do not have permission to take out a march, but as long as they maintain peace, we do not have a problem,” a police officer told PTI. The protesters, however, claimed they had permission.
Carrying photographs of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad and social reformer Savitribai Phule, the protesters, from children as young as 10 to senior citizens, demanded that the government revoke the “black law”. The wife of Dr Kafeel Khan, who was acquitted of all negligence and corruption charges in the Gorakhpur BRD Hospital tragedy in September, and brother of Sharjeel Imam, arrested on sedition charges, also took part in the march held under the banner of Welfare Party of India.
On January 30, as over 20 police personnel, including an SHO, watched, a youth fired at a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act near Jamia Millia Islamia University, leaving one student injured.
Later said to be 17 and a juvenile, the teenager brandished a gun at the protest site around 1.45 pm, and shouted slogans of “Yeh lo azadi (Here, take azadi)”, “Desh mein jo rehna hoga, Vande Mataram kehna hoga (If you want to stay in the country, you have to say Vande Mataram)” and “Dilli Police zindabad”, before he fired. As he was being taken away by police, he identified himself as “Ram bhakt”.