Protests against the CAA-NRC-NPR continued in Delhi with Jamia Millia Islamia students clashing with the police on Monday.
The protesters, including Jamia students and alumni, were led by the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC). They were marching towards Parliament to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and were stopped by security forces near Holy Family Hospital in Okhla.
Police said the protesters did not have permission to march towards Parliament, and after an hour long standoff between the security forces and the students, the police resorted to a lathicharge.
According to an IANS report, some security forces personnel resorted to the lathicharge while others pushed the protesters back when they threw water pouches at the security forces and abused them. The incident did not last for more than a minute, the report added.
The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) however took to Twitter to allege that the police had indulged in a "barbaric lathicharge"
"Again police did barbaric lathicharge on Jamia students as they were peacefully marching towards Parliament against #CAA_NRC_NPR. Students have suffered many injuries some are also critical, we strongly condemn this cruel behaviour of @DelhiPolice #JamiaProtest," the student body wrote.
Some on Twitter however criticised the claim, saying that no such violent incident had taken place.
An India Today article on the other hand quoted doctors at the Jamia Health Centre to say that "more than 10 woman students have been hit on their private parts".
"We have found blunt injuries and some have been hit in a way that we had to shift them to Al Shifa because injuries are serious in nature," the publication quoted the medics as saying. Doctors also added that some students have suffered internal injuries after being hit on the chest with sticks.
According to an ANI report, Jamia Millia Islamia University Chief Proctor Waseem Ahmad requested the students to move back. "I request both students and police to deal with the situation in a calm manner," Ahmad said.
The protesters raised slogans like "Kagaz Nahi Dikhayenge" (we will not show documents)" and "Jab Nahi Dare Hum Goron Se Toh Kyun Dare Hum Auron Se" (when we did not fear the British, then why should we fear others), reported PTI.
Several women are also part of the protest. Many waved tricolour and raised slogans of "Halla Bol". Men formed a human chain on either side of the road as women walked ahead, PTI said.
An IANS report added that women protesters raised their bangles in the air pointed towards the Delhi police in a symbolic gesture. The women claimed that Delhi Police was not letting the march continue because of instructions by the BJP-led central government. They suggested that the Delhi Police wear the bangles for not allowing the protesters to march ahead.
The CAA allows easier citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis and Jains who came to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before 2015 to escape religious persecution there. Muslim migrants don't figure on this list.
Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the NRC is intended to target the Muslim community in India.
(With inputs from agencies)
