Amid Observation of Janata Curfew, Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Protest Sites Attacked

New Delhi: Amid protestors at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia Islamia observing ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22 following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to people to voluntarily stay indoors to check the spread of coronavirus, both the agitation sites — where round the clock women-led sit-in has been going on for the past three months against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register and the proposed National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) — were once again attacked this morning.

An unidentified man allegedly hurled a petrol bombs at two spots close to the protest site and fled brandishing a firearm when he was chased by locals who spotted him. Soon after the incident, a live bullet was reportedly fired at Jamia’s gate number 7, the venue of the demonstration.

Since both demonstration venues were empty because of the temporary suspension of the protest in view of the coronavirus outbreak, no one sustained injuries.

According to an eyewitness, who claims to have chased the attackers, a young man wearing a red shirt first hurled a petrol bomb at around 9 a.m near a police barricade at road number 13 A — the blocked arterial road that connects Delhi to Noida in Uttar Pradesh. When he was chased by people, he said, the alleged attacker fled on a motorbike from the spot. While escaping, he threw another burning bottle of petrol at a tea kiosk close to Cribs Hospital at 40-feet Road, which is also close to the protest venue.

Notably, the two spots that were attacked are close to the police barricades where there is 24x7 heavy deployment of Delhi Police and reserved police force officials.

Alleging that the attacks were being facilitated by the police, the eyewitness said, “When we  alerted the cops stationed there, they were laughing and telling us that he (the attacker) was spraying sanitiser. They rushed to the spot and demarcated it after we strongly register protest.”

“The man in red shirt was accompanied by another man who was driving the bike. Once I chased him, he took out a firearm and fled,” the eyewitness claimed.

Incidentally, a man named Arun Chauhan had posted on his Facebook timeline some 12 hours ago that he would attack the protestors at Shaheen Bagh with petrol bomb.

The police said the men had come out of a lane of Shaheen Bagh and threw a bottle toward the police barricades. “We are scanning CCTVs to get an idea about the people and the bike they were riding. The situation is completely under control,” said a senior police official.

A few minutes after the attacks took place at Shaheen Bagh, an unidentified man allegedly opened fire near Jamia Millia Islamia’s gate number 7, which was empty because of the voluntary curfew. The Jamia Coordination committee (JCC), a group of students and alumni, said in a statement that “a miscreant opened fire at Jamia Square, Gate No. 7, of the university. CCTV footage showed the miscreant in the get-up of a delivery boy with a helmet and three bags on his bike, due to which its number plate was not visible”.

The police are said to have taken away the bullet, while pieces of a glass bottle are still there. The incident, according to a varsity official, took place at around 9:30 a.m. “The man came from the Okhla side, probably after committing a similar act at Shaheen Bagh. He hurled a bottle at the tent near Gate No. 7,” he said, adding that “the tent fortunately was empty since the students last evening suspended the protest”.

“As the tent did not catch fire, the man allegedly tried to set it on fire using a gas lighter and fired a few rounds,” said the official and added, “We informed the police about the incident and handed them over the CCTV footage”.

He said the attacker fled towards Julena after the incident.

‘COMPLETE LOCK DOWN, SELF-QUARANTINE’

Responding to the national emergency in light of the coronavirus scare, Shaheen Bagh protestors have prohibited public gathering at the moment. Slippers have been kept at the protest site as a mark of protest. Only four-five women are present there sitting and maintaining distance from each other.

There is neither any slogan chanting, nor speeches.

Only a few volunteers could be seen around in safety gears, such as masks, hand gloves, sanitisers and temperature metre devices, fumigating the area and not letting anyone reach the protest venue.

“Realising the gravity of the situation and responding to PM Modi’s appeal to stay indoors and observe a voluntary curfew, we temporarily suspended our protest and vacated the venue. But those who want to create unrest and disturb law and order situation are indulging in unnecessary provocation. This is the third occasion when our protest has been attacked. Bullets have been fired here twice. We are here to register our peaceful protest against a discriminatory CAA, the NPR and the NRC, the police and the government want to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere, which we will not allow,” said a woman protestor.

Those who reached the protest site, she said, with fire arms and sprayed bullets were let off but those who were killed and their properties burnt in North-East Delhi riots are now being picked by the police on frivolous charges and made to suffer legally. “And then people, who promote the narrative of ‘inconvenience’ want us to keep quiet and go back home. Enough is enough. It’s not going to happen. You cannot scare us with bullets anymore,” she added.

Another protestor said, “We woke up with the visual of flames rising near our protest site on a day when the prime minister urged the country to exercise self-quarantine, though it is not going to instil fear in us. Such attacks embolden our resolve to fight back peacefully.”

She shared a couple of ideas to keep the spirit on despite not attending a gathering against the CAA, the NPR and the NRIC. “We have decided to raise voice against the NPR exercise which is slated to begin from April 1. We will e-mail the prime minister, registering our protest. We will post letters to him. We will write memoirs of the CAA movements across the country and sent it to him. We will keep spreading love and positivity around as the fight to defend the Constitution has united us all. We can’t grow out of the love and bond built during this period,” she added.

“Ladai jaari rahegi lekin ehtiyaat zaruri hai (our fight will go on, but precautions are necessary),” she concluded, commenting on the suspension of the gathering.