Another anti-CAA protest at Delhi University; 30 SFI members detained

Asked why protesters were detained, Additional DCP, Anjitha Chepyala, said, “Section 144 has been implemented in the area from February 24, 2024, to April 23, 2024, that’s why we are detaining them. They aren’t allowed to protest or gather in numbers in this vicinity.” The protesters didn’t take any prior permission for the protest, said the officer.

The SFI members started the protest late afternoon inside the Arts Faculty campus, but were soon moved out of the premises and detained at 3.20 pm; they were taken away to the police station in two buses.

The protesters were taken to the Burari Police station, said a detained SFI Delhi State Committee member, Hitesh, who is a student at DU’s Faculty of Law.

“CAA is based on religion and causes discrimination. Amnesty India has also labelled the CAA as a discriminatory law that goes against constitutional values of equality and international human rights,” he said.
Many SFI members flashed banners, through the bus windows, with quotes like ‘Repeal CAA NRC Now’.

A woman protester, who was among those detained, told the media: “You can see DU students are not allowed to express their views publically. The way the central government passed the CAA Bill, we are protesting against that.” She further alleged, “The government harassed students of Jamia, JNU, DU four years ago and they are trying to do the same now.”

On Tuesday, police had detained around 70 All India Students Association (AISA) members for a similar protest at the Arts Faculty. They were released the same day.

(The writer is an intern with The Indian Express)