The interlocutors -- senior advocates Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran --began the third day of their discussion with the Shaheen Bagh protesters on Friday evening. According to reports, Delhi Police have admitted that the protesters had not blocked the parallel road, but they had barricaded it to provide security to the protest site.
"When several adjoining roads are open, why are they insisting us to move from this road? This is not the only road connecting Delhi to Noida," a woman protester told the interlocutors earlier today. To this, Hegde said, "Today is Shivratri. If somebody uses a cuss word, it becomes a blessing today. It is your right to speak. Speak up. Say everything you want to say. Let us take a joint decision for all the affected parties here."
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The protesters told the interlocutors that the police barricaded the road parallel road to their tent, besides two other roads that connect to the Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj road. The interlocutors even called the police to the spot to discuss the matter with the protesters.
A police official told the interlocutors that the parallel road as well as certain other roads were kept barricaded to give protection to the protest site. "We barricaded the parallel road to ensure security to the protest site. If the road is opened to commuters, we will ensure double security to the protesters," the police official said.
Later on, speaking to protesters, advocate Hegde once again reiterated that the protests can go on but also asserted that the roads should be opened. The interlocutors had checked on all the roads connecting Delhi to Noida late on Thursday, along with some protesters and police officials.
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A woman protester stood up and told the mediators, "The government thinks women are uneducated. All of us are educated women who know what we are fighting for. The students from Jamia Millia Islamia University, who were teaching us more on CAA and NRC, are being beaten up."
"If the police could not stop the men who fired at us, how are they claiming that they will protect us if the parallel road is opened," she questioned.
Advocate Ramachandran agreed to the claims made by protesters about Police blocking the roads. "When we checked on the roads, we noticed that you (protesters) were right. Many roads are open, which were blocked by the police. I am very upset to say that the Noida-Faridabad road, which was opened on Thursday, was again closed by the police. Whoever has done this is now answerable to the Supreme Court," she said.
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Protesters also highlight the fact that Shaheen Bagh was being maligned and they have let ambulances and emergency vehicles pass through the anti-CAA protest site. The mediators then reached out to the SHO and asked if whether roads can be opened and security can be provided to the protesters.
Responding to the mediators, the SHO agreed to provide security to the protesters. However, protesters demanded a written assurance of security from the Delhi Police.
No immediate conclusions were reached and for the third straight day both the mediators left with no progress apart from listening to the concerns of the protesters. Hedge, however, assured that he would convey their (protesters') message to the Supreme Court.
(With inputs from PTI)