Heavy security in Delhi, anti-CAA protesters detained near Red Fort

New Delhi: Security was heightened across the national capital on Thursday with the police detaining demonstrators protesting near the Red Fort area over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and entry and exit gates of several metro stations were closed.

At Red Fort and Mandi House, there was heavy deployment of police forces in order to maintain law and order. Section-144, which prohibits the gathering of four or more people, has been imposed in Red Fort area and North-East District, hours after a request by a Swaraj Abhiyan for a peaceful march against the citizenship law was denied by the police from Red Fort to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park Park in ITO for today.

Permission has not been granted for the protest march to be held by Communist Party from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar over the CAA and NRC at 12 noon. Similarly, a request for the march to be held under the banner of 'Hum Bharat Ke Log' was also denied by the police from Red Fort to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park in ITO over CAA at 11:30 am.

The prevailing situation has forced the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to shut the entry and exit gates of metro stations like Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, ITO, Pragati Maidan, Lal Quila, Jama Masjid, Jamia Millia Islamia and Munirka among others as a precautionary measure.

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Hence, trains will not halt at these stations. However, services will continue to be operational in the remaining parts of the Delhi Metro network.

The Delhi Traffic Police tweeted that Road No 13A between Mathura Road and Kalindi Kunj was closed for traffic movement and advised people coming from Noida to take either DND or Akshardam to reach the national capital.

Meanwhile, ten more people have been arrested on Thursday for allegedly fanning violence in North-East Delhi's Seelampur area amid the protest against CAA. According to police, out of ten, four accused have a criminal background. They have been accused of pelting stones, burning a police booth and setting two-wheelers on ablaze during the protest. Yesterday, the police forces arrested eight people for their alleged involvement in instigating violence in Seelampur.

Protests escalated in Delhi on Sunday after students and cops were left injured during the clash with police in Jamia Millia Islamia area. The demonstrations have spread to other places including at Seelampur and Jafrabad in the north-eastern part of the city.

The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have appealed to the people to maintain peace and tranquillity.(ANI)

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