CAA notified: Security beefed up in northeast Delhi

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Monday beefed up security in Shaheen Bagh and parts of northeast Delhi following the notification of the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the Union Home Ministry.

Northeast district police along with paramilitary forces also conducted patrolling in the sensitive area to maintain law and order situation.

“North-East district police personnel conducted extensive patrolling and checking in sensitive areas, along with paramilitary forces, for the security of civilians. Everyone is urged to adhere to the security instructions,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey wrote on X.

Tirkey said that 29 Aman Committee meetings were convened and we are endeavouring to dispel misconceptions about the CAA among the public.

"We have conducted a flag march for the last two days. I plan to deploy additional forces, likely starting tomorrow, to conduct more flag marches. A detailed list of criminals and troublemakers has been compiled, and they are under police surveillance," said the DCP.

"We are confident that the situation will remain peaceful. We are also monitoring social media, and necessary action will be taken," Tirkey added.

Heavy police personnel were also deployed in southeast Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area where on December 15, 2019, a protest began in response to the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on December 11, 2019.

The protest at Shaheen Bagh had lasted until March 24, 2020. The protest was led by women who blocked a major road at Shaheen Bagh.

As Shaheen Bagh was seeing the sitting protest, which included students from Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), against CAA, Delhi witnessed one of its worst communal riots in the month of February 2020 which spread over 11 police stations of North-East District.

“These communal riots took place as the culminating high point of various sustained sit-in and roadblock (Chakka-Jaam) protests organised by seemingly amorphous but bonded by anti-CAA groups.

“Anti-CAA protests were also organised in the areas of Hauz Rani, Jama Masjid, Darya Ganj, Seelampur, Nabi Kareem, Shastri Nagar, Sadar Bazar etc. where substantial Muslim population resides,” as per police chargesheet in the court.

The riots started on February 23, 2020 and lasted till late night of February 25, 2020, causing the loss of 53 lives and damage to several public/private properties.

The areas which were badly affected by the communal riots were mainly covered in the 11 police stations of North-East District namely Jafrabad, Welcome, Seelampur, Bhajanpura, Jyoti Nagar, Karawal Nagar, Khajoori Khas, Gokal Puri, Dayalpur and New Usmanpur.

By the afternoon of February 24, 2020, full-scale riots broke out when violence was reported on the 66 Foota Road and Wazirabad Road and clashes spread to other areas, which continued till the night of 25th February.

“A total of 755 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered during the Northeast riots and 400 cases were solved. Police had filed a charge sheet in 349 cases,” said police.