Earlier on Friday, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad led a massive protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Delhiâs Jama Masjid. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) Today Live News Updates: Hours after disappearing from Jama Masjid, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad surrendered before Delhi Police and was taken into custody in the wee hours of Saturday. Azad was under the radar of the cops prior to the massive protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, that erupted at the mosque immediately after Friday prayers. The Bhim Army leader staged the agitation despite no permission.
At least 45 people, including 13 police officers, were injured as Walled City protests in the national capital that had largely remained peaceful, turned violent on Friday evening. A constable’s car parked outside Darya Ganj police station was set on fire, and as stone pelting started, police used lathi charge and a water cannon to disperse the crowd at Delhi Gate.
In Uttar Pradesh, at least six persons were killed in firing during protests, taking the overall death toll from the agitation over two days to nine. Police said that over 600 people were taken into custody as part of “preventive action”. Meanwhile, as protests against the citizenship law swelled nationwide and there was a pushback from state governments and even its allies, the ruling BJP was heard climbing down on the plan for a pan-India National Register for Citizens.
College students, political and social activists, senior citizens protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill) in Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan on Thursday. (Express photo)
On choosing Jama Masjid as the site of protest, Chandrashekhar Azad said, "There is a mazar (mausoleum) of one of the greatest freedom fighters, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, here. This is the place from where he challenged the British. There can be no better place to protest against an undemocratic government. A lot of people, especially women, are coming out and taking part in protests."
On the government's claims that the citizenship law will not apply to Indian citizens, the Bhim Army chief said, "I don’t believe the people who lie. All the slogans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are lies. What happened during the notebandi (demonetisation)? Many people died. Who is responsible for their deaths? Today, six people have died in Uttar Pradesh? Who will take responsibility of their death? People do not trust them now. Why are they doing NRC? Muslims are patriots. They did not protest when the government abrogated Article 370. When the verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case was pronounced, they did not protest. They did not protest when the Parliament passed the tripal talaq law. But now, we will protest the undemocratic move of this government."
Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad, who had evaded the Delhi Police and joined protesters at Jama Masjid on Friday afternoon, says he will continue his protest till the government rolls back the new citizenship law. "Bhim Army stands for the protection of the Constitution which is bestowed by B R Ambedkar. We will not allow the division of the country," he told The Indian Express.
After evading protest for two days and giving police the slip from the steps of Jama Masjid on Friday afternoon, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was detained from the grand mosque around 3 am Saturday.
A police officer told The Indian Express, "He surrendered before the police at gate no.1 and is being taken to the Crime Branch's office have for further investigation."
Around 2.30 am, Azad, stepped out of the mosque and stood on the steps of the Jama Masjid surrounded by hundreds of protesters and addressed the gathering on a mic. He said, "...the fight to save the country cannot be fought from home."
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was detained by Delhi Police form gate no. 1 of Jama Masjid.
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad has been taken in police custody. In a tweet earlier, Azad said that he is ready to surrender if all the people held are released.
The BJP in Assam began its outreach programme to protesters on Friday with a peace march in Nalbari, even as widespread protests and cultural demonstrations against the new citizenship law continued across the state. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP president Ranjeet Dass marched silently through Nalbari town, along with several other top BJP ministers and a large gathering of supporters. To counter the BJP’s march, protest demonstrations against the new law were held in Nalbari under the banner of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). Read more...
Scenes outside Delhi Police headquarters in ITO. (Express Photos: Naman Shah & Amit Mehra)
'Azadi' slogans fill the air outside Delhi Police Headquarters in Delhi's ITO as former JNU student leader Umar Khalid joins Citizenship Act protests.
Hundreds have gathered in front of Delhi Police Headquarters in ITO in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act that has triggered agitation across India. Daryaganj has earlier today witnessed violent protests where the protesters torched vehicles and pelted stones prompting the police to use water cannons. (Express Photo: Naman Shah)
Traffic will be affected in Central Delhi on Sunday due to a rally at Ramlila Ground, PTI reported the police as saying on Friday.
In an advisory, police said parking for cars will be inside and behind the Civic Centre. Bus would be allocated space to park on Mata Sundri Road, Power House Road, Velodrome Road, Rajghat parking, Shanti Van parking, service roads of Rajghat and the Samta Sthal, it said. Outside Broadcasting (OB) vans will be parked on the footpath of JLN Marg opposite to the Ramlila Ground beyond Gate Number 2 and up to Kamla Market, the advisory stated.
Protests at Delhi's Jama Masjid started after Friday's afternoon prayers. The agitation was led by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who was first detained by the Delhi Police but managed to escape.
The Delhi Police has detained 40 people in connection with the violent protest in Daryaganj today. The protest turned violent in Old quarters of Delhi area after agitators torched a car, following which police used water cannons to disperse the crowd. According to the police, the protesters set ablaze a private car parked at Subhash Marg, Daryaganj. The fire was immediately doused with water and fire extinguishers. A total of 58 companies of security force personnel were brought in from outside to bolster the strength of local police.
-PTI inputs
Raising slogans of 'Azaadi', 'No NRC, No CAA', the protesters, most of them college students, demanded that the new citizenship law be repealed.
(Express photos: Abhinav Saha)
After giving the slip to the Delhi Police, earlier today, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad has returned to Jama Masjid. Inside the premises of the mosque, Azad addressed the media and said the new citizenship law destroys the social fabric of the country. As the Delhi Police waits for Azad outside the premises of the mosque, Azad said: "This is a citizens' protest."
After the afternoon prayers at Jama Masjid, Azad led the protest inside the premises, holding a copy of the Constitution. Planned to march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar, Azad was detained by the police in the mosque. However, he managed to escape the police's clutch, only to return in the evening.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, present at the India Gate in Delhi, said the Citizenship Act and NRC are against the poor as they will be the most affected. 'What will the daily wage laboureres do,' Priyanka asked. At India Gate, Priyanka appealed that demonstrations across the country should be held peacefully.
"Government wants every Indian to stand in line to prove citizenship, as it did after note ban," Priyanka claimed.
(Express photo: Anil Sharma)
At least five persons have been killed in violent agitations across Uttar Pradesh, says the state administration. Of the five casualties, two hailed from Bijnore, while others were from Firozabad, Sambhal and Meerut.
Over 50 policemen have been seriously injured during the protests, PTI reported.
Amid the furor of the newly-amended Citizenship Act spread across the country, the Home Ministry Friday said no Indian citizen will be unduly harassed or put to inconvenience by asking to prove citizenship by showing documents like birth certificates of parents or grandparents dating back to a period before 1971. "Citizenship of India may be proved by giving any document relating to date of birth or place of birth or both. Such a list is likely to include a lot of common documents to ensure that no Indian citizen is unduly harassed or put to inconvenience," MHA wrote on Twitter.
A curfew has been imposed in parts of Madhya Pradesh including — Gohalpur and Hanumantal police station limits — in Jabalpur city, following violent protests against the new citizenship law. Curfew was also imposed in some parts of Kotwali and Adhartal police station limits, District Collector Bharat Yadav said.
-PTI inputs
The Delhi Police said "outsiders" were involved in the violence near Delhi Gate during protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
"We used mild force and water cannon, didn't lathicharge protesters or lob tear-gas shells. Many of our personnel have been injured. Some people have been detained," PTI quoted Delhi Police PRO Mandeep Singh Randhawa as saying.
He said that a private car was set on fire by the miscreants and an investigation is underway
A day after Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow witnessed gruesome protests which left one person killed and several charred vehicles, the state administration has deployed special forces in the most affected areas in the city. Special forces include CRPF, RAF, ATS.
(Express photos: Vishal Srivastava)
As protests over the contentious citizenship law refuse to douse in Delhi and fresh violence has erupted at Delhi Gate near the Daryaganj area, landmark metro stations around the national capital remain closed. Here are the following metro stations that are currently inoperative:
Central Secretariat, Chawri Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Delhi Gate, Lal Quila, Jama Masjid, Khan Market, Janpath, Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jaffrabad, Maujpur-Babarpur, Shiv Vihar, Johri Enclave.
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi Friday said her party condemned BJP-led Centre's decision to bring the new citizenship law, terming it "discriminatory". She said the Congress is fully committed to defend the fundamental rights of people and uphold foundational values of the Constitution. "Citizenship amendment Act is discriminatory, and proposed nationwide NRC will particularly hurt poor, vulnerable," Gandhi said while addressing the nation. She expressed solidarity with the students and citizens protesting. "BJP govt shown utter disregard for people's voices, used brute force to suppress dissent, it is unacceptable in a democracy," she said.
The protest in Old Delhi took a violent turn when the agitators torched vehicles at Delhi Gate. The police used water cannons to disperse the crowd gathered the Delhi Gate.
(ANI photo)
Several protesters have gathered at the Delhi Gate in Daryaganj area. As protesters and Delhi Police clash with each other, the police are using water cannons on the protesters to douse the demonstration.
(ANI photo)
(Express photo)
A score of people have gathered at the Central Park in Connaught Place, raising slogans in favour of the amended Citizenship Act. People held placards which read - 'We support CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act)' and 'We support Delhi'.
(With PTI inputs)
Increasing travel restriction in Delhi, following the protests in the national capital over the CAA, entry and exit gates for metro stations — Kashmere Gate and Central Secretariat — have been closed. Interchange facility is available at these stations.
As intense protests continue at Jamia Millia Islamia University, scores of students from the varsity took out a march, holding flowers in their hands. The students of Jamia handed roses to the Delhi Police in an attempt for peace.
Amid violent protests in parts of western UP, internet services have been snapped across major cities in the state and few sensitive ones in West Bengal and Karnataka. Internet access over mobile phones was suspended in major towns in Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Agra, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Bareli, Firozadad, Pilibhit, Rampur, Saharanpur, Shamli, Sambhal, Amroha, Mau, Azamgarh and Sultanpur following explicit state government orders, telecom industry, PTI quoted officials as saying. Broadband internet services were also suspended in some cities, including Lucknow and Ghaziabad.
The Uttar Pradesh government's Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi in an order issued on December 19 stated that "messaging systems like SMS and WhatsApp and social media systems like Facebook and YouTube may be used extensively for the transmission of information like pictures, videos and texts that have the potential to inflame passions and thus exacerbate the law and order situation."
Despite travel restrictions, the protests at Jamia Millia Islamia University continue against the Citizenship Act and impending NRC. Some protesters donned white bands on the head with "No CAA, No NRC" written on them.
(Express photo: Abhinav Saha)
Eight journalists along with camera crew of Kerala-based TV channels, who had interviewed relatives of those killed in the December 19 police firing during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, were released after being detained for seven hours by the Mangaluru Police. No explanation has been provided for their detention.
Due to the ongoing protests in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University and Jama Masjid, entry-exit gates of metro stations including — Rajiv Chowk, Pragati Maidan, Khan Market, Mandi House and Janpath— have been closed. Further, gates of Johri Enclave too have been shut. Trains will not be halting at these stations.
As protesters stone-pelted in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, the police lathicharged them to disperse.
Thousands of protesters took out a march from Babajan Dargah chowk to Collectorate in Pune against the CAA on Friday. (Express photo: Arul Horizon)
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation: Entry and exit gates of Johri Enclave, Shiv Vihar and Dilshad Garden are closed. Trains will not be halting at this station.
The protests in Western Uttar Pradesh have taken a violent turn. Several vehicles have been set ablaze in Bulandshahr after protests turned violent. Meanwhile, forces have been deployed in Muzaffarnagar after incidents of arson and stone-pelting in the city. The police personnel has resorted to lathi charge in Meerut, following stone-pelting at Lisari Gate.
Protests at Maharashtra's Bhiwandi against the amended Citizenship Act and NRC are organised. As protesters gathered on the streets, schools, colleges and shops were closed in the area. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was holding up a copy of the Constitution leading the protest at Jama Masjid. A large number of people had joined the demonstration after attending the Frdiay prayers at the mosque. Azad had given a call for protest from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar.
As protests continue at Jamia Millia Islamia University, the DMRC closed the entry and exit gates of the metro station of Jamia. Besides Jamia, the gates of Jaffrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur are also closed.
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With about 50 men and women who had arrived by a train from Kerala taken into custody for trying to enter Mangaluru, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said necessary measures must be put in place to ensure the safety of Malayalee journalists. "Necessary measures must be put in place to ensure the safety of Malayalee journalists who went for reporting in Mangaluru. The State police chief is in touch with the Karnataka police. We strongly condemn the sly methods employed to malign journalists," Vijayan tweeted.
Some mediapersons were detained for entering the Government Wenlock hospital where the post-mortem of those killed in the firing on Thursday was underway this morning. The mediapersons' cameras and mobile phones were also seized, PTI reported.
Thousands of agitators have gathered at Jama Masjid to protest against the Citizenship Act. A protest march is planned till Jantar Mantar. Several roads leading to Jama Masjid and Red Fort witnessed massive traffic jams.
The protesters gathered outside the Jamia Millia Islamia University, raising slogans against the new citizenship law and the impending NRC.
(Express photo)
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee appealed PM Modi to withdraw the Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens and said it is a matter of the country's interest. 'It is not about victory or defeat,' PTI quoted her as saying.
Urging the prime minister to intervene, Mamata said he should ensure the revocation of the amended Citizenship Act.
'I had said opinion poll on CAA and NRC must be conducted by experts of our country, the process could be monitored by the UN,' Mamata said at a press meeting.
Addressing reporters, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi should intervene and ensure revocation of amended Citizenship Act. It is not about victory or defeat, it is a matter of country's interests; withdraw CAA and NRC."
In Hyderabad, a large number of persons coming out of Friday prayers at Mecca Masjid held a flash protest outside the mosque near Charminar. As they chanted slogans against CAA and NRC, police deployed here asked them to disperse. At least 1,200 persons were present on the spot. The protest lasted for about 40 minutes. Around 15 persons were detained in this regard.
Delhi Gate metro station has also been shut in view of the law and order situation.
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who was detained outside Jama Masjid, has managed to escape.
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad detained from outside Jama Masjid.
Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar today urged the university students not be misled by any rumours. In a letter to students, she assured that the varsity is with them and will provide them with "full financial and emotional support". The university's students have been at the forefront of the protest against the amended citizenship law. Akhtar had called the police's entry in campus on December 15 "condemnable" and had called for a judicial inquiry into the matter.
Protests against the citizenship law are also underway near Charminar in Hyderabad.
Protests led by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad at Jama Masjid.
"The citizenship act does not take away the rights of any citizen of India. People who are providing support to violent elements, I appeal to the state governments to take the strictest action against them," Union Minister Smriti Irani was quoted as saying by ANI.
"Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress staged a flash protest against the citizenship act outside Amit Shah's residence. We have been detained and brought at Mandir Marg police station," the former President's daughter tweeted.
Delhi Mahila Congress chief and Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha was detained near Amit Shah's residence and taken to Mandir Marg police station.
Ahead of a rally by Bhim Army, the entry and exit gates of Chawri Bazar, Lal Quila and Jama Masjid have been shut down. "Trains will not be halting at this station," DMRC tweeted.
In Mangaluru, media persons were also detained for entering the premises of the Government Wenlock hospital where the post-mortem of those killed in the firing on Thursday was underway. According to media reports, they were released later today. Their cameras and mobile phones were also seized. Mobile internet has been shut in Mangaluru and the same will continue till December 22 midnight, a statement from city police commissioner P S Harsha said.
Entry of those coming from Kerala to this city was restricted at Thalappady border as police were checking identity cards before allowing them in emergency cases. Mangaluru is on high alert after Thursday's violence and public are advised not to move out of their houses, sources said. At least 50 men and women who had arrived by a train from Kerala were taken into custody for trying to enter the city without identity cards.
Taking to Twitter, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad said, "Please do not pay heed to rumours about my arrest. I am going to reach Jama Masjid."
Delhi Police are in the lookout for Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad after his organisation was denied permission to stage protests at Jantar Mantar today. Police claimed Azad 's phone has been switched off.
Ahead of a planned rally by Bhim Army, security has been tightened in Northeast Delhi. Joint CP Alok Kumar told ANI, "Sufficient force has been deployed, including 10 companies of CRPF and RAF in the northeast district. We have held many rounds of meeting with locals and deployed drones, anti-riot gear to deal with any kind of situation."