Shaheen Bagh: Supreme Court To Hear Plea Seeking Removal Of Protesters From Site

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear petitions against the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protests, which have been going on since the new citizenship law was passed by the parliament. The protesters, mainly women, have been staging a sit-in against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) for the past two months. In its last hearing, the Supreme Court had said, “You cannot block public roads indefinitely, protests cannot continue like this.” However, it did not issue any interim order in the matter.

The apex court had issued notices to the Delhi Police, NCT government in the matter. It also said the people are entitled to protest but they have to do so in an area designated for agitation. 

Shaheen Bagh protesters march towards Amit Shah's residence

Shaheen Bagh protesters on Sunday tried to march to Home Minister Amit Shah's residence here for a dialogue over the amended citizenship law, but were stopped by police after a little distance from the sit-in site as they did not have permission from authorities to take out the rally.

A large posse of security personnel was deployed at Shaheen Bagh in south-east Delhi where hundreds of women protesters gathered to march towards Shah’s residence on the Krishna Menon Marg for a dialogue over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

Barricades were put up in the area and the protesters were stopped a little distance from the site.

The protesters chose an eight-member delegation, including elderly women called ‘dadis’ of Shaheen Bagh, to approach the police “to allow them” to meet Shah and asserted that they will carry out the march peacefully.

“Police said they have forwarded our request to meet the home minister and have sought some time to arrange it,” Javed Khan, one of the protesters, said.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been one the most talked about issues in the country for months now. The passage of the contentious act created tensions in different parts of the country. Starting from Assam, Uttar Pradesh to New Delhi, violent protests erupted, culminating into huge damage of public properties. The Citizenship Act protests, which agitators tout as Anti-Muslim, spread far and wide and prohibitory orders (Section 144) and internet shutdowns have also become the order of the day.