Delhi Police clears Shaheen Bagh protest site amid coronavirus lockdown

The protest site at Shaheen Bagh has been cleared by Delhi Police on Tuesday morning amid coronavirus lockdown in the capital. The protesters who were sitting for 101-days at the site were forcefully evicted by the Police personnel after they showed resistance.

Reportedly, only a few women are still at the site while others had left the place and left their slippers at the spot to show solidarity, said India Today reports.

The protest at Shaheen Bagh was triggered when the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed in Parliament on December 11, 2019. Since then, the protesters against the CAA came down to the streets and even burnt down several properties and also took several lives.

The protest against the new citizenship law was spearheaded by women.

Delhi Police have also detained 6 women and 3 men from Shaheen Bagh for violating Section 144 prohibitory orders.

According to the DCP South East, “people who were protesting at Shaheen Bagh were requested to clean the site as lockdown has been imposed. But when they refused to follow the instructions, the action was taken against violators as the assembly was unlawful. Protest site has been cleared. Some protesters have been detained."

Before the evacuation at Shaheen Bagh, Delhi Police heightened security and imposed Section 144 under CrPC. Besides, Police have tightened security in Jaffrabad where the violent riots broke out in January.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak across the country, 473 people found positive for COVID-19 pandemic while 9 deaths have been reported.

Centre has also asked state governments to take strict legal actions against lockdown violators.

Also Read: PM Modi appeals Indians to take lockdown seriously, says 'save yourself and your families'