CAA protests: Delhi Police detain over 350 protesters outside UP Bhawan; pro and anti rallies held in Mumbai

While students and social activists held a protest against the new citizenship law at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, a large number of people gathered at the August Kranti Maidan for a rally in support of the CAA and the NRC.

At Azad Maidan, protesters carried placards against the Modi government and shouted slogans. “This is an authoritarian regime. It thinks they can do anything. It is this government’s responsibility to protect and not oppose the Constitution,” Nikita Pathak, a student taking part in the protest, was quoted as saying by PTI.

Another protester added that this was a “faceless” government and that the Act is aimed “against not just one community but against the whole country”.

At Azad Maidan, protesters carried placards against the CAA and shouted slogans. (Express Photo by Mayura)

Meanwhile, at the August Kranti Maidan, the rally supporting the Act was led by former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Addressing the rally, Fadnavis said the large crowd indicates “massive support” for the Act.

“Opposition parties are spreading rumours and misinformation (about CAA, NRC). The Opposition is deliberately trying to create misunderstandings among Indian Muslims about the Act. For vote bank politics, the Opposition is trying to create unrest,” he said.

“Pakistan did not fulfill the (implicit) assurance during Partition that minorities will be protected (in both the countries). Hence India has to look after them because they are our people,” Fadnavis added.

At August Kranti Maidan, large number of supporters held posters in favour of the CAA. (Express Photo by Prashant Nadkar)

“The leaders who are saying that the Act will not be implemented in their states do not respect the Constitution,” he further said.

Organised by BJP’s Sanvidan Sanman Manch’, the rally saw supporters carrying photographs of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Big photographs of V D Savarkar, Mahatama Jyotiba Fule, Bharatmata and Shahu Maharaj were displayed on stage.

The organisers had, however, planned a support march from the August Kranti Maidan to Lokmanya Tilak statue at Girgaum Chowpatty but Mumbai Police denied them permission citing law and order issues.

Over 350 protesters detained outside Delhi’s UP Bhawan

The Delhi Police on Friday detained at least 350 protesters, including women, outside the UP Bhawan in the national capital as people tried to stage protest against alleged police brutalities in the state following agitations over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, officials said.

The protest, organised by the Jamia Coordination Committee, had called for a “gherao” of the UP Bhawan, where prohibitory orders were clamped under section 144 of CrPC.

However, the JCC later said in a statement that the gherao did not take place because of the police crackdown and a memorandum prepared by JCC could not be submitted.

It also condemned the “ridiculous action” of the police.

Police said that the protesters did not have the permission to hold an agitation at the site.

On the other hand, braving cold weather, hundreds of protesters, many of whom gathered after offering Friday prayers at Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid, took out peaceful demonstrations under a heavy security cover and drone surveillance in Delhi.

‘As long as I’m alive, CAA won’t be implemented in Bengal’: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in Bengal as long as she is alive.

“As long as I am alive CAA will not be implemented in Bengal. No one has to leave the country or the state. There won’t be any detention centre in Bengal,” Banerjee said at a programme in Naihati.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had on Thursday supported the students’ protest across the country against CAA. She wondered today why the students can vote to elect a government on turning 18 but not have the right to protest.

“Why can’t students protest against a draconian law? The Centre is taking action against protesting students and is rusticating them from universities,” she added.

Mamata’s comments came a day after a war of words between the BJP and the Congress over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘no detention centres’ remark. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had on Thursday hit out at PM Modi for his remark at a rally in Delhi and alleged that “RSS’s Prime Minister lies to Bharat Mata”.

Uttar Pradesh: 19 dead, thousands detained 

As the death toll in protests against the new citizenship law climbed to 19 in Uttar Pradesh Thursday, the state police said it had arrested 1,113 people in 327 cases registered so far and placed another 5,558 people under preventive detention.

This is the biggest police crackdown in Uttar Pradesh since the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots when 1,480 people were arrested in 567 cases. The riots had claimed 63 lives and displaced an estimated 50,000 people.

Incidentally, the number of preventive arrests in the Kashmir Valley following the scrapping of Article 370 in August this year totalled 5,161, according to Minister of State (Home) G Kishan Reddy on November 19.