Massive protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens have swept the country. Section 144 which prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area has been imposed in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and several other places.
Delhi
Amid the anti- CAA protests, sixteen flights from Delhi have been delayed as staffers were stuck in the traffic jam on NH-8. Additionally, mobile internet services have been restored in Delhi and all 19 metro stations that were closed in the morning have been reopened.
Public interest lawyer and activist, Prashant Bhushan was detained at ITO. Bhushan, along with other activists were walking to Shaheed Park when police detained them. After being taken to Model Town police station, Bhushan and other activists continued their protest at the station.
Brought to Model town police station. When faced with unjust laws & an inhuman govt, non-cooperation, satyagraha & peaceful protest is our duty pic.twitter.com/4EMEPdnEcy
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 19, 2019
Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav has been detained by the Delhi police outside Red Fort for carrying out anti-CAA protest.
It is an honour to be detained on 19th of December, a small tribute to Ashfakulla Khan and Ramprasad Bismil.
Happy to be in the company of Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, ex-MP, Patiala pic.twitter.com/odFCzMJQNf— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) December 19, 2019
Former JNU leader Umar Khalid has also been detained. Government has ordered internet shutdown in parts of Delhi. Network provider Airtel has confirmed that voice, internet and SMS services have been suspended in parts of Delhi.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Left leaders D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu and Brinda Karat who was part of the anti-CAA protest in Delhi’s Mandi House have been detained.
D. Raja, Sitaram Yechury among other manhandled and detained by Delhi Police from Mandi House. #CAAProtest https://t.co/kNFKbwC4Q9 pic.twitter.com/ZVlCHP58VU
— Girish (@GirishNaught) December 19, 2019
Lucknow
Protests in Lucknow took a violent turn after protestors went on a rampage, pelting stones at the police, setting vehicles on fire and ransacking a police outpost. About 20 people have been taken into custody.
The police in return fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathi-charge to control the unruly mob. Several protesters torched a bus and the Medeyganj police station in Khadra area of Old Lucknow.
Shia community leaders also held a protest march in Lucknow.
Bengaluru
As Section 144 has been imposed in Bengaluru, students of Indian Institute Of Management have resorted to relay protest, where students take turns to protest in groups of four. Through this, the students will be within the bounds of Section 144 that prevents the assembly of five or more people and at the same time, can register their protest.
Protests began in the Mysore Circle in the city in the morning and a large crowd has also gathered near Town Hall. Historian Ramachandra Guha was detained near Puttanachetty Town Hall while protesting.
.@Ram_Guha arretsed by @BlrCityPolice at townhall #CAAProtest pic.twitter.com/XTcbMhSuUa
— Imran Khan (@keypadguerilla) December 19, 2019
Hyderabad
In the protest near Exhibition Ground, Hyderabad police have detained at least 50 protesters from the Charminar area.
Avinash Mohanty, DCP South Hyderabad: Permission has not been granted to any organisation to hold any rally, procession or open outdoor protest in favour or against #CitizenshipAmendmentAct, in the entire South Zone. Around 50 people have been taken into custody. https://t.co/wXFlvSpSre
— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2019
Bihar Bandh
In the ongoing Bihar bandh in Ara, shops and malls were hit with stones and police barricades were vandalised. Nawada police have detained 50 activists.
Protests against CAA are also being held in Guwahati, Assam, where Congress leaders Harish Rawat and Ripun Bora have joined in.
Members of Left-wing student organisations squatted on the tracks disrupting the movement of trains while others vandalised an ambulance and burnt tyres.
Left Parties To Hold Nationwide Protest
Communist Party Of India(Marxist) CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday, December 18, announced that the Left parties, including the CPI(Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, CPI, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) will be holding a nationwide protest on Thursday.
“Citizenship in the Constitution is not linked to religion and by doing so they are deepening the communal poison between people, spreading violence and hatred when there is already a surfeit of this in the country,” Yechury was quoted in The Hindu.
“I am appealing to you to come and join in large numbers for the protest march of the Left parties which will join the citizens march against the CAA and the NRC. These measures are very decisive steps taken by the Modi-Shah government to disrupt the unity of our people and undermine our Constitution,” he added.
In Delhi, the Left parties will begin their march from Mandi House and then join the citizens’ protest led by All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav at Shaheed Park.
Together let’s save India. Join us. pic.twitter.com/aNuSShQxOI
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) December 18, 2019
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