Clashes broke out between two groups of people near Jaffrabad in northeast Delhi on Sunday evening where a large number of people had gathered to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The protest began hours after a road, closed since two months due to the Shaheen Bagh protest, was opened for vehicular traffic.
#WATCH Delhi: People continue to protest in Jaffrabad metro station area, against #CitizenshipAmendmentAct. Security has been deployed there.
As per the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, entry and exit of Jaffrabad have been closed. Trains will not be halting at this station. pic.twitter.com/gOLTj9MUnG
— ANI (@ANI) February 23, 2020
There was tension in the area after hundreds of anti-CAA protesters, mostly women, blocked a road near the Jaffrabad metro station which connects Seelampur with Maujpur and Yamuna Vihar, prompting the Delhi Metro authorities to close the entry and exit gates of the station.
Security Update
Entry & exit gates of Maujpur-Babarpur are closed.
— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) February 23, 2020
Security Update
Entry & exit of Jaffrabad have been closed. Trains will not be halting at this station.
— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) February 23, 2020
Police fired tear gas shells as members of the two groups pelted stones at each other in Maujpur.
#Delhi: Stone pelting between two groups in #Maujpur area, tear gas shells fired by Police. pic.twitter.com/GLbEhHZ1VS
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) February 23, 2020
These protests come at a time when the Supreme Court appointed interlocutors in an attempt to reach out to the anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh. The protest blocked a road connecting southeast Delhi and Noida. Following mediation between interlocutors and protesters, road number 9, a one-way route connecting Noida with Kalindi Kunj, was opened on Saturday. The Supreme Court on Monday had appointed two advocates Sadhana Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde as interlocutors and will hear the matter next on 24 February.
Protesters have been opposing CAA and NRC calling them unconstitutional, divisive and discriminatory, since they use religion as a basis for citizenship.
(With Agency Inputs)