Protesters agitating against the amended Citizenship Act clashed with police on Sunday, 15 December, and set afire DTC buses and a fire tender in New Friends' Colony in southeast Delhi leaving a cop and two fire personnel injured, police said.
The protesters torched DTC buses and a fire tender was damaged, police claimed. Protesters claimed that the police baton charged them when they were holding a peaceful protest. A Delhi Fire Services official said four fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
According to Saimon Farooqui, national secretary of Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India, the protesters were peacefully sitting on Mathura Road when policemen tried to "trouble" a couple of protesters, who resisted.
Thereafter, police started lathicharging the protesters and using teargas, he alleged.
Another protester claimed that after the policemen used force, some protesters torched buses and indulged in vandalism.
Jamia Students Disassociate Themselves From the Violence
The students of Jamia Millia Islamia disassociated themselves from the violence that has erupted on Sunday.
“The students of Jamia Millia Islamia disassociate themselves from the violence that has erupted today. We have time and again maintained that our protests are peaceful and non-violent. We stand by this approach and condemn any party involved in the violence. We have maintained clam even when students have been lathi-charged and some women protestors have been badly beaten up. Media personnel are a witness to these events. Violence by certain elements is an attempt to vilify and discredit genuine protests,” the statement said.
Further, Jamia Teachers Association (JTA) in a statement condemned the violence that erupted in south Delhi and said that the association is not a part of the violence.
“Jamia Teachers' Association condemns the violence in south Delhi, outside Jamia Millia Islamia. JTA is not part of any such violence. JTA also appeals to students, if any, to keep away from such direction-less protest led by local political leaders. Jamia practices and preaches peace. JTA condemn all sort of violence near Jamia or anywhere in India,” the statement read.
Delhi Authorities Issue Advisory
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that on the advice of Delhi Police, entry and exit gates of Sukhdev Vihar and gate no 3 of Ashram have been closed. Further, trains will not be halting at Sukhdev Vihar, it said.
Delhi Traffic Police had tweeted that vehicle movement was closed from Okhla Underpass to Sarita Vihar due to the demonstration. The demonstrators blocked Mathura Road opposite New Friends Colony, the traffic police said. Traffic from Badarpur and Ashram Chowk was diverted to alternate routes due to the road blockade.
Earlier on Friday, police clashed with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University, who wanted to march to the Parliament House to protest the Citizenship Act.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
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