Naqvi says 'Dissent part of democracy, but protestors can't get rights by blocking roads'

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday, February 22, stated that "dissent and consensus are part of democracy" but anti-CAA protestors cannot get their rights by blocking the road. He also said that protestors "understand their rights but not their duties." 

The minister was referring to a large number of women protesting at Jaffrabad who have blocked the metro station since Friday to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Similar protests are being held in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh for over two months against the contentious law.

"This is a dilemma between rights and duties, they (protesters) understand their rights but not the duties. Dissent and consensus are part of democracy but you cannot get your rights by blocking the road," Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said at an event in New Delhi.

READ | Shaheen Bagh Protest An Example Of Struggle Between Rights And Duties Of People: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

A large number of people, mostly women, have been holding a sit-in protest since mid-December last year which led to blocking the Noida-Kalindi Kunj road that connects the national capital to Noida and Faridabad.

Recently, senior advocates Sanjay Hedge and Sadhana Ramachandran were sent as interlocutors by the Supreme Court to talk with the protestors and urge them to clear the road. The roads were partially opened on Saturday after 70 days of blockage. 

READ | Shaheen Bagh Stir: Partial Reopening Of Noida-Faridabad Road Brings Relief To Commuters

1000 women protestors block metro station in Jaffrabad

The national capital is witnessing a repeat of sit-in protests from Shaheen Bagh after a large number of people, including over 1,000 women, gathered at Jaffrabad metro station on Friday night to protest against CAA. The mob which gathered there blocked the road under the metro station.

As per the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, entry and exit of Jaffrabad have been closed and trains have been asked to not halt at the station. The protests began on late Friday night and have continued till Sunday morning. The protestors have stated that they will not move from the site until the Centre revokes the citizenship law.

READ | Delhi: Jaffrabad Protests Against CAA Continues Overnight, 1000 Women Block Metro Station

Metro station shut down 

The mob which has gathered and taken over the Jaffrabad metro station area, raised slogans of 'Azadi'  while protesting against CAA. The protestors were also seen wearing caps with a message 'NO NRC". The protestors have hijacked the road near the metro station which connects Seelampur to Maujpur and Yamuna Vihar. Seeing the security situation, the police force has reached the site.

READ | RSS Calls Road Blockade 'anti-Islamic'; Asks Shaheen Bagh Protestors To 'accept CAA'