Delhi Police Appeals CAA Protesters to Unblock Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh Road ‘in Larger Public Interest’

"We appeal to agitators at Road No 13-A, Shaheen Bagh to understand the sufferings, the complete highway blockade is causing to the residents of Delhi and NCR, senior citizens, emergency patients and school going children," a police statement said.

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday appealed to agitators to unblock the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch to avoid inconvenience to residents of Delhi and the National Capital region (NCR) and “in larger public interest”.

“We appeal to agitators at Road No 13-A, Shaheen Bagh to understand the sufferings, the complete highway blockade is causing to the residents of Delhi and NCR, senior citizens, emergency patients and school-going children,” a police statement said.

The protesters, who are opposing the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and a proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC), have been on protest at Shaheen Bagh for over a month. The road is a key link between Noida and Delhi and has been closed by the Noida Traffic Police in view of the ongoing protests.

The matter had also come up before the High Court.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Friday passed an order allowing Delhi Commissioner of Police Amulya Patnaik to exercise the powers of detaining authority under the stringent National Security Act for three months, from January 19 to April 18.

The notification means the Delhi Police Commissioner now has the power to detain anybody without any case registered against him or her.

Earlier on Friday, students of Jamia Millia Islamia and residents of Jamia Nagar and Shaheen Bagh said they will send letters to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking the CAA’s repeal, claiming it is against the Constitution.

A draft of the letter, framed by the students, is being circulated among residents of Shaheen Bagh, Batla House, Noor Nagar, Okhla and neighbouring areas.