A day after some organisers of the Shaheen Bagh road blockade in New Delhi called off the protest, alleging political interference, a number of women protesters have voiced their objection and denied the same.
“We request all of you to stop sending any assistance to this stage which has been now hijacked by Congressis, and cash hungry gangs who don’t care about riots and its implications for the community,” he had said.
However, at least one of the protesters speaking to The Quint, said the Congress leaders had come to "calm the chaos" after some of the "self-proclaimed organisers" spread rumours that the police was planning to lathi charge and asked the protesters to leave.
An Indian Express article also quoted protesters who denied any reports of the sit-in being called off.
“Why will we move? Let any inspector or SP come, let them use lathis or guns, we will not move till we get justice. Some people had come to the stage this morning and said we should move but we chased them away,” the report quoted Ronak Jehan, a 55-year-old protester sitting with her grand-daughter, as saying.
Another protester, Shabnam Shafi, asserted that the rumours are being spread by "outsiders", the report said.
On Thursday, former Congress MLA Asif Khan and local leader Ashu Khan were spotted at the protest with their men, which fueled the claims that the protest was being infiltrated by political forces.
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