CAB Protest Reaches Delhi As March To Parliament Turns Violent; Jamia Under Lockdown

Several media personnel were abused, thrashed and their cameras were broken by protestors outside Jamia Millia Islamia university as the students' march to Parliament was foiled by the police.

Students of Jamia Millia Islamia University clash with the police during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), that has now become and Act with the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind, reached the national capital on Friday with student of Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi clashed with Police while agitating against the Bill. According to reports, hundreds of students had gathered for a march to Parliament House from the university campus to voice their opposition to the legislation. The students, who were baton-charged by police personnel, alleged that the police also used tear gas to quell their march. The students also resorted to stone-pelting. Videos circulated by students on social media showed police caning the protestors. Around fifty protestors have been detained and taken to Jaitpur and Badarpur police stations. The police had cordoned off the road and protestors were seen climbing onto the barricades. The University's gate was later closed. As a precautionary measure, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed the entry and exit points at Patel Chowk and Janpath metro stations following Delhi police's advisory, which were later reopened. "As advised by Delhi Police, entry & exit at Patel Chowk and Janpath have been closed. Trains will not be halting at these stations," DMRC said on twitter. It was also reported that at least 3 policemen were admitted to hospital after being injured during the protest which took place in Delhi on Friday.

Security Update

Entry & exit gates at all stations have been opened. Normal services have resumed in all stations. — Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) December 13, 2019

New agency IANS also reported that several media personnel were abused, thrashed and their cameras were broken by protestors outside Jamia Millia Islamia university as the students' march to Parliament was foiled by the police. "You (media) are saying we have hurled stones at the police, but what about the teargas and lathi-charge by them (police)," shouted an agitating protestor as he pushed and beat up a reporter reporting live from the spot. Students also resorted to massive stone-pelting after the police stopped the protestors from marching to Parliament.

I strongly condemn the brutal lathi-charge and firing of tear gas on Jamia Millia Islamia students who were marching to parliament to protest the bigoted and unconstitutional #CitizenshipAmendmentBill2019

Our country is burning. pic.twitter.com/eGHQL8W5t2 — Srinivas B V (@srinivasiyc) December 13, 2019

"Initially, minor force was used to disperse the protestors, but within minutes the crowd returned with stones in hand. Many of our men have been injured in the stone pelting," said a senior police officer. The students, however, blamed the police for the violence as they said that lathi-charge and teargas were used on the protestors without any provocation. Several northeastern states including Assam witnessed massive protest over the passage of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill. The Bill before becoming a law was passed both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh with a cut-off date as December 31, 2014.