Anti-CAA protesters clash with Delhi Police after march from Jamia to Parliament halted

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) university students and residents of Jamia Nagar on Monday got into a scuffle with the Delhi Police near the Holy Family Hospital in Okhla, during an anti-CAA-NRC protest demonstration organised by the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC).

The JCC, an organisation of Jamia students and alumni, had called for a protest march against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register for Citizens (NRC) from the university to the Parliament. However, the police reportedly stopped the march near the hospital in Okhla and requested them to return to Gate 7 of Jamia.

Delhi: Protest by Jamia Coordination Committee continues near Holy Family Hospital. They had called a protest march against CAA,NRC&NPR, from Jamia to Parliament, but were stopped by security forces near the Hospital in Okhla.Police is requesting them to return to Gate 7 of Jamia pic.twitter.com/zRwYR0bjCe

— ANI (@ANI) February 10, 2020

After they were stopped from carrying an anti-CAA march towards Parliament, the protesters clashed with the police personnel, with reports corroborating that the demonstrators attempted to breach the police barricades.

Despite repeated appeals from the police and the varsity authorities, the protesters refused to end their agitation. Police said the protesters did not have permission to march towards Parliament.

Amid heavy deployment of security personnel in and around the university, the protesters, including several women, began their march from Jamia's gate no 7.

The protesters raised slogans like "Kagaz Nahi Dikhayenge' (We will not show documents) and "Jab Nahi Dare Hum Goron Se Toh Kyun Dare Hum Auron Se" (When we did not fear the British, why should we fear others).

Men formed a human chain on either side of roads as women walked ahead, waving the tricolour and raising slogans of "Halla Bol".

"It has been two months since we are protesting. No one from the government has come to talk to us, so we want to go to talk to them," said burqa-clad Zeba Anhad.

Jamia Millia Islamia proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan appealed to the students to disperse and not meddle with the police. "The message has been sent. I request students in the crowd to go back to the university. Respect the law and peacefully go back," he urged the students.

The Citizenship Amendment Act promises citizenship to members of 6 non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India before December 31, 2014. Massive protests have erupted across the country against the new law. 

Massive protests have erupted across the country against the new citizenship law. Critics say that the new law is against the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and clubbed with the NRC may be misused to strip away some Muslims' citizenship in the country. The BJP, however, has argued that the law has nothing to do with India's Muslims and only helps those who fled religious persecution in the neighbouring countries.

(With PTI inputs)