Shaheen Bagh Protests Peaceful, Police Have Blocked Roads 'Unnecessarily': Interlocutor Tells SC

Wajahat Habibullah, one of the Supreme Court's interlocutors (a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation) for Shaheen Bagh, has called the protests peaceful. He blamed the Delhi police for 'unnecessarily' blocking the road.

Wajahat Habibullah was also among those who moved the top court challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), among other laws

In an affidavit, the former Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities noted that the Shaheen Bagh protests against the CAA, National Register Citizens (NRC), and National Population Registration (NPR) is indeed peaceful and beautiful. The apex court will consider the affidavit on February 24.

The protesters in Shaheen Bagh have been on a sit-in against the new citizenship law since last two months.

Last week, the Supreme Court had appointed interlocutors -Sadhana Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde -to hold discussions with the Shaheen Bagh protesters and convince them to demonstrate in an alternative site where no public place is blocked.

Hundreds of protesters mostly women have occupied a stretch of GD Birla Marg, an arterial road that connects Delhi and Noida, which still remains closed. Residents nearby have complained that the blockade is causing them inconvenience.

"There is numerous number of roads that have no connection with the protest that have been barricaded by the police unnecessarily, abdicating their responsibilities and duties and wrongly laying the blame on the protest," read Habibullah's affidavit.

The top court had asked Sanjay Hegde to "play a constructive role as an interlocutor" to persuade the protesters to move to an alternative site. It said the interlocutors could seek Habibullah's assistance.

The Apex court has given the mediators five-days time to resolve the matters with Shaheen bagh protesters.

Senior advocates Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran held three round of talks earlier with the Shaheen Bagh protesters. However, there has been no breakthrough so far in the discussions.

Also Read: Fact Check: Photo Showing Ravish Kumar Disguised As Muslim Woman At Anti-CAA Protest Is Fake