Clashes broke out between two groups at Jaffarabad in New Delhi on Sunday evening after people in large numbers gathered to protest against the controversial Citizenship Act. Police fired tear gas shells as members of the two groups pelted stones at each other in Maujpur.
"Stones were also pelted at the police. The situation has been brought under control. Adequate personnel have been deployed and are conducting flag marches," Alok Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police told media.
Tension simmered in the area after hundreds of anti-CAA protesters, mostly women, blocked a road near the Jaffrabad metro station, which connects Seelampur with Maujpur and Yamuna Vihar. The women, carrying the tricolour, were raising slogans of 'aazadi. PTI quoted a woman, who identified herself as Bushra, saying that till the time the CAA was not revoked, the protesters would not leave the site. Social activist Faheem Baig had said that there was resentment among the people against the way the government was handling the issue.
A protest is already going on near the main Seelampur road and Kardampuri against the amended Citizenship Act.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had to shut down the entry and exit to the Jaffarabad station after heavy deployment of paramilitary forces and police personnel. "Entry and exit (points) at Jaffrabad have been closed. Trains will not be halting at this station," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation tweeted.
The protest at Jaffrabad took place at a time efforts are being made to clear a road blocked by anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh. The protesters have been staging a sit-in at Shaheen Bagh for over two months, blocking the road connecting southeast Delhi and Noida.
Police personnel deployed outside Jafrabad metro station during an ongoing protest against CAA and NRC, in New Delhi. PTI
During the day, former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah has told the Supreme Court that the protest at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was peaceful and inconvenience being caused to commuters was due to barricades "unnecessarily" put by police on roads far away from the site. Habibullah, Azad, and Naqvi have jointly filed an intervention application in the apex court which is seized of the matter. Habibullah had visited the protest site at Shaheen Bagh pursuant to the direction by a bench of Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph. The bench is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday.
Supreme Court formed interlocutors failed to convince protesters at Shaheen Bagh to shift to an alternative site and open the roads in the area. The protesters demanded a written order from the court assuring their safety in case a parallel road to Shaheen Bagh is opened. However, they maintained that the roads around the area were open but blocked by police barricades.
Protest by around 500 people, mostly women, near the Jaffrabad metro station. PTI
The apex court had earlier said that though people have a fundamental right to protest "peacefully and lawfully", it was troubled by the blocking of a public road at Shaheen Bagh as it might lead to a "chaotic situation".
A Bheem Army-led march by hundreds of anti-CAA protesters heading to the district collectorate on Sunday afternoon was stopped midway by police and Rapid Action Force jawans. The protestors, including women, were stopped by police from moving ahead after they crossed over the Katpula Bridge from the old city.