Anti-CAA Protests: Scores of prominent leaders detained

Protests erupted in several cities across the country on Thursday against the amended Citizenship Law with hundreds of protesters and activists being detained. Many Left party leaders, including D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu and Brinda Karat, were also detained.

New Delhi: As protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is escalating nationwide, the authorities are taking counter-steps to subdue the voices.

Mass detentions are being reported, roads are being barricaded, internet services have been suspended, Section 144 has been imposed- all in the efforts to bring down 'anti-government' opinion.

Scores of protestors were detained by the Delhi Police near Red Fort when they tried to take out a march on Thursday.

Swarajya Abhiyan chief Yogendra Yadav was among those detained who later told that he was among thousands who were picked up by the police for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act in New Delhi.

"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," he tweeted.

Yadav also said that the police were detaining peaceful protesters en masse in Bengaluru, and the only thing holding them back was a deficit of transportation facilities.

"Batch after batch of students, activists, writers are being arrested. Since police ran out of buses, now they have stopped arresting. They are waiting for more buses. Peaceful protest continuing," he said in another tweet. The Swaraj Abhiyan chief was later let go.

Political activists and leaders of various Left parties including CP(I)M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat and CPI leader D Raja were also detained by Delhi Police for defying prohibitory orders and taking part in protests. Former student leader Umar Khalid and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit were also put into custody.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan tweeted- 'Samvidhan Zindabad', after cops detained him at ITO for more than five hours.

Down south in Bengaluru, historian Ramchandra Guha was detained by the police while he was giving an interview during the protest.

"I feel sorry for the police. They are getting orders from Delhi. This is totally wrong. Peaceful and ordinary citizens are protesting. Our Home Minister would not allow a peaceful protest to take place. Everyone should stand up," Guha conveyed to a news agency.

Protests have intensified in various parts of the country after the Parliament had passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, last week. The Bill became an Act after getting presidential assent on 12 December 2019.