Delhi Police urge anti-CAA protestors at Shaheen Bagh to clear road blockade in interest of larger public interest

As the protest at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) entered day 35 on Friday, Delhi Police appealed to protestors to understand the inconvenience caused by the complete highway blockade to residents of Delhi and NCR, senior citizens, emergency patients and school-going children.

"We appeal to agitators at Road No. 13 A Shaheen Bagh to understand the sufferings that the complete highway blockade is causing to residents of Delhi & NCR, Senior Citizens, emergency patients and school going children," Delhi Police tweeted.

The police administration asserted that the matter has also come up before the High Court.

"We again urge protesters to cooperate and clear the road in the larger public interest," it further said.

The protestors at Shaheen Bagh on Friday continued to raise their voice against the amended law. The protestors included new mothers and elderly women.

Rihana Khatun, who was at sit in with her 45-day-old baby, said she was seeking justice.

"She (the baby) was 12-days old when I joined the protest on the first day. It has been more than a month now. I am sitting in cold and rains with her to get justice," Khatun said.

She rejected allegations that the protestors were getting paid. "I am not here for money, I have come here for justice and for our country," she said.

Protesters have installed a giant iron cut-out of India's map with the text stating "We the people of India reject CAA, NPR and NRC."

The Sikh community has also started 'langar seva' for the protesters and serves food twice a day.

Apart from that, people have also distributed fruits to demonstrators in a show of their support.

Announcements were made at the demonstration stating that protest was not backed or funded by any political party and "please don't give money to volunteers nor will they accept it".

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.