Anti-CAA protests: Patrolling intensified in Delhi in view of violence

In view of violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Jamia and eastern Delhi, patrolling has been intensified in the city to maintain law and order, police said on Tuesday. Group patrolling has been initiated and pickets erected in outer, north and northwest districts of Delhi, they said. Meetings have been held with members of Aman Committee, Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs), Market Welfare Associations (MWAs), police mitras and respectable members of society to discuss the prevailing situation, police said.

"We have urged people to avoid rumours being circulated on various social media platforms and to maintain law and order and peace in the area," said Gaurav Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North). Pickets have also been installed in sensitive areas to take action against hooligans, if any, he said.

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Senior officers from both districts of northwest and outer-north interacted with the people of different areas in this regard, he added. District cyber cells have also been tasked to monitor the activities of anti-social elements on various social media platforms, the DCP said.

SC pleas on CAA

The Supreme Court of India will take up 60 petitions filed by 59 parties challenging or in some way relating to the newly introduced Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 on Wednesday. A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde and comprising of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant will decide whether or not the legislation will be put through judicial scrutiny of the Apex Court. The petitioners before the top court include opposition party leaders, student organisations from Assam, NGOs, Muslim organisations and private citizens.

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The petitions before the Supreme Court have challenged the CAA on the basis that it’s discriminatory on grounds of religion by allowing citizenship to be granted only to non-Muslim immigrants from neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The petitions also state that the Act does not include all minorities from the neighbouring countries and that the classification of the religious groups as well as which countries should fall under the Act is arbitrary and baseless.

The primary reason why the first hearing before the top court becomes even more crucial on Wednesday is because if the Supreme Court decides to consider the petitions, that will mean that the Act which has caused widespread unrest across the country will require a stamp of approval from the Supreme Court before ever seeing light of the day. The Act can then be expected to undergo a rigorous scrutiny vis-a-vis the Constitution of India before the Supreme Court.

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(with PTI inputs)