Anti-CAA protests: Protesters throng Jantar Mantar amid heavy Police deployment

A large number of protestors gathered at the Jantar Mantar here on Thursday to protest the amended citizenship law after they were not allowed to demonstrate near the Red Fort and Mandi House where prohibitory orders have been imposed. Left leaders including D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat, Congress' Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dikshit, and activists Yogendra Yadav and Umar Khalid were among those detained near the Red Fort and Mandi House where the two demonstrations were planned to be held.

As protestors started converging at the Jantar Mantar amid heavy deployment of security personnel, barricades were erected at the protest site to prevent them from moving further. Senior police officials have appealed to students and activists to maintain peace. Police have also stationed water canons at the Jantar Mantar to deal with any situation.

Entry and exit gates of at least 18 Delhi Metro stations were shut while barricades were erected in large parts of the south, east and north Delhi to check movement of protesters, triggering massive traffic snarls in large parts of the city. In the area around the Red Fort, scores of protestors were dragged into buses by police in a bid to clear the area where Section 144 of the CrPC was imposed which restricts gathering of more than four people.

READ| CAA Delhi protests: CPI(M) leaders detained; Brinda Karat slams 'attack on India's heart'

Arvind Kejriwal appeals to govt

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once again appealed to the Centre to rollback the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) amid sporadic agitations against the Act across much of India. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Kejriwal said that an atmosphere of fear and tension has gripped the minds of people and they are uncertain over this law. Kejriwal launched the free public WiFi service in Delhi on Thursday along with his deputy Manish Sisodia.

"Not just in Delhi, but the law and order situation is deteriorating across India on which I'm very much concerned. People have a certain kind of fear. Not just Muslims, but Hindus, Christians, Sikhs all are tense because they will be asked to prove their citizenship through documents. The poor in this country do not have such documents. 70% of the people do not have the papers and will be told to leave. Where will they go? It's our country, we were born here, our ancestors were here, where would they go? So people are scared," CM Kejriwal said.

Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act resulted in huge traffic snarls across the national capital during the morning peak hours, while the Delhi-Gurgaon route remained in gridlock as vehicles lined up for as long as 10 km on the expressway connecting the two cities.

READ| CAA protests: Internet services, SMS & voice calls suspended in certain parts of Delhi 

(With PTI inputs)