Delhi: Protesters from Punjab join sit-in at Shaheen Bagh

Protesters from Punjab, including members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) on Wednesday joined the ongoing sit-in at Shaheen Bagh where people, largely women from the minority community, are demonstrating against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Protesters including senior citizens, men, women and children joined the protest here and raised slogans against CAA and NRC.

Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar joined the protest in Shaheen Bagh here and attacked the BJP-led central government saying that they fought elections on the promise of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', but they did 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vinash'.

"They got majority in election because they said we will do 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Together for everyone's progress). But what they did? They did 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vinash (destruction)'," Aiyar said.

Meanwhile, due to the protesters occupying a major portion of the road, traffic movement in the area has been affected for about a month now.

The Kalindi Kunj stretch, a crucial route that connects Delhi with Faridabad and Noida has been closed since December 15 last year due to demonstrations against CAA and NRC.

Several commuters using this road have been forced to use alternative routes such as Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) Expressway and Ashram.

"Road No. 13A between Mathura Road and Kalindi Kunj is closed for traffic movement. People coming from Noida are advised to take DND or Akshardham to reach Delhi," Delhi Traffic Police tweeted earlier today.

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.