We are ready to talk to govt officials on CAA, say Shaheen Bagh protesters

A section of Shaheen Bagh protesters on Monday said they were ready to meet the government officials to raise their concerns over the new citizenship law. Till now, no Union minister or a government official has gone to meet the protesters to listen to their grievances.

New Delhi: The Shaheen Bagh protesters on Monday said that they are ready to talk to government officials who wish to discuss with them their concerns on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed NRC.

"If a government official wants to talk to us about CAA, NPR, and NRC, then he/she is welcome to do so," said one of the senior citizens participating in the protest at Shaheen Bagh.

Earlier today, hearing a PIL, the Supreme Court had appointed senior lawyers Sanjay Hegde, Sadhna Ramachandran and former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah to go and talk to protesters at Shaheen Bagh and convince them to hold the agitation at an alternative site.

The apex court has posted the matter for further hearing on February 24.

The PIL was filed by Nand Kishore Garg and Amit Sahni through their lawyer Shashank Deo Sudhi earlier last week sought appropriate directions to the Centre and others for removal of protestors from Shaheen Bagh near Kalindi Kunj.

A large number of people, especially women, from different communities have been staging a protest at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh since mid-December last year against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

No Union minister or a government official has so far gone to meet the protesters to listen to their grievances.

The PIL stated that people in Shaheen Bagh are illegally protesting against the CAA by blocking the common and public road connecting Delhi with Noida.

The petition seeks appropriate direction to the respondents, including the Government of India for laying down detailed, comprehensive and exhaustive guidelines relating to outright restrictions for holding protest/agitation leading to obstruction of the public place.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)