New Delhi: The security was tightened across Delhi on Tuesday with paramilitary personnel conducting patrols and flag marches while heavy police force was deployed around Jamia Millia Islamia after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019. The students’ groups at Jamia protested against the CAA implementation and demanded that the Centre withdraw it. There was also some uncertainty among residents of Shaheen Bagh and parts of northeast Delhi in the wake of the CAA notification.
Addressing a press conference near one of the gates of the university, the protesting students pressed for repeal of the CAA and the release of all students booked in the anti-CAA protests nearly four years ago. They also sought withdrawal of the cases against the students.
The students addressed the media from inside the Jamia Millia Islamia campus while the Delhi police remained on guard outside. Slogans like “Delhi Police wapas jao” and “Inqalab Zindabad” were raised.
Scores of students who gathered also demanded the “demilitarisation” of the university campus as security in the area was beefed up after the government notified rules for the CAA’s implementation on Monday.
The Delhi police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in the area and drones were also being used to monitor the situation.
In Delhi University, around 55 students were detained as they gathered to protest at the Arts Faculty. Many students from the Left-affiliated AISA had called for a protest against the implementation of the CAA.
Delhi University AISA unit chief Manik Gupta claimed that the students were detained by the police even before the protest started. “Many students who were simply standing outside the Arts Faculty and not participating in the protest were detained on the basis of mere doubt,” he alleged, claiming that the students were handled brutally.
Paramilitary personnel conducted night patrols and flag marches in Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and many parts of northeast Delhi Monday night. The patrolling will continue on Tuesday as well, the police said.
“Police and paramilitary personnel are keeping a strict vigil to maintain law and order. We have identified 43 hotspots in northeast Delhi and night patrolling was comparatively high at these locations,” DCP (northeast) Joy Tirkey said. “The safety of every person in Delhi’s northeast district is our responsibility,” he told the media.
Shaheen Bagh was the epicentre of the protests against the CAA for nearly 100 days in 2019-2020.
The Delhi police’s cyber unit is also monitoring social media platforms to prevent provocative posts and rumours. The Delhi police held at least 29 meetings with peace committee members so that people do not “fall for rumours”.
In southeast Delhi, paramilitary personnel carried out a flag march as the local police did patrolling on bikes. Locals in the Shaheen Bagh area said they feel the implementation of the CAA could adversely impact the Muslim population. On the first day of Ramzan, the area was peaceful, with men clad in kurta-pyjamas and skull caps heading to the local mosque for afternoon prayers.
