Shaheen Bagh protests: Man with pistol enters protest venue; ask protestors to vacate area

NEW DELHI: A man with a pistol entered the venue of Shaheen Bagh protests in Delhi. The man reportedly threatened the gathering and asked the protestors to vacate the area.

The man with the pistol allegedly shouted, "clear the road or people will die."

The man was soon overpowered by the locals.

He was identified as one Mohammad Luqman (50), a contractor and a resident of Shaheen Bagh.

A case was registered under section 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of other) and 506 (Criminal Intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and Arms Act, police informed, according to media reports.

https://twitter.com/ImAbdy/status/1222126738831892480

For the last few days, people have been asking Shaheen Bagh protestors to vacate the area as the protests are causing traffic jams.

Shaheen Bagh Official, a Twitter handle, wrote at 6 p.m., “An official and urgent appeal from Shaheen Bagh: armed anti-social elements have entered the protest area. We fear that more right-wing groups could enter and launch an attack. We appeal to all to join the protest, strengthen our numbers and prevent any violence.”

The latest tweet read, "Infiltrators have been caught and neutralised, and the situation is back to normal.However we are on alert for more such incidents today and in the coming days as we reach elections in Delhi. Please reach Shaheen Bagh and sites across Delhi in large numbers."

A few days ago, Deepak Chaurasia, consulting editor of News Nation TV has put up a video that shows him getting pushed and shoved by some men at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi.

Chaurasia who was removed from the venue, was there to cover the ongoing protests against CAA.

The journalist claimed that he was beaten up and his camera was snatched.

The protest at Shaheen Bagh began with the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December last year and the ensuing police intervention against students at Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University on December 15. Growing in size by the day, it has now become the longest ongoing protest against CAA-NRC-NPR, triggering similar movements in different parts of the country.

CAA aims to protect religiously persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan by giving them Indian Citizenship. The cut-off date for those to be given citizenship in India has been fixed at, on or before 31st December 2014.

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