Anti-CAA protests: Protesters throng Jantar Mantar amid heavy Police deployment

A large number of protestors gared at Jantar Mantar here on Thursday to protest amended citizenship law after y were t allowed to demonstrate near Red Fort and Mandi House where prohibitory orders have been imposed. Left leers including D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat, Congress' Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dikshit, and activists Yogendra Yav and Umar Khalid were among those detained near Red Fort and Mandi House where two demonstrations were planned to be held.

As protestors started converging at Jantar Mantar amid heavy deployment of security personnel, barrices were erected at protest site to prevent m from moving furr. Senior police officials have appealed to students and activists to maintain peace. Police have also stationed water cans at Jantar Mantar to deal with any situation.

Entry and exit gates of at least 18 Delhi Metro stations were shut while barrices were erected in large parts of south, east and rth Delhi to check movement of protesters, triggering massive traffic snarls in large parts of city. In area around Red Fort, scores of protestors were dragged into buses by police in a bid to clear area where Section 144 of CrPC was imposed which restricts garing of more than four people.

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Arvind Kejriwal appeals to govt

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once again appealed to Centre to rollback Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) amid sporic agitations against Act across much of India. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Kejriwal said that an atmosphere of fear and tension has gripped minds of people and y are uncertain over this law. Kejriwal launched free public WiFi service in Delhi on Thursday along with his deputy Manish Sisodia.

"t just in Delhi, but law and order situation is deteriorating across India on which I'm very much concerned. People have a certain kind of fear. t just Muslims, but Hindus, Christians, Sikhs all are tense because y will be asked to prove ir citizenship through documents. poor in this country do t have such documents. 70% of people do t have papers and will be told to leave. Where will y go? It's our country, we were born here, our ancestors were here, where would y go? So people are scared," CM Kejriwal said.

Protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act resulted in huge traffic snarls across national capital during morning peak hours, while Delhi-Gurgaon route remained in gridlock as vehicles lined up for as long as 10 km on expressway connecting two cities.

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(With PTI inputs)