HC seeks response from Centre, Delhi on plea seeking to clear roads blocked by CAA protests

Delhi High Court on Friday sought the Centre and Delhi Government's response on a plea seeking directions to identify the roads blocked by protesters over the new citizenship law and immediate clearance of these roads.

Chief Justice DN Patel and C Harishankar issued notices to the respondents and scheduled the matter for further hearing in the month of April.

The petition, filed by activist Ajay Gautam, sought directions to the concerned authorities to identify roads in areas like Sunder Nagri, Khureji, Hauz Rani, Azad Market, Kasab Pura, Inderlok, Kerdam Puri, Jheel Khureji and Seelampur and Jafrabad, etc, evacuate these protesters and clear the roads with immediate effect by using appropriate force if necessary.

The plea also sought directions to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) through the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the matter to find out anti-national forces behind these protests on the lines of Palestine Model, wherein kids and women were used as a shield for carrying out anti-national activities. It also sought an investigation into the role of People's Front of India (PFI) and who was funding, motivating and supporting these alleged anti-national protests.

It also sought an investigation against "anti-India forces, who are allegedly openly threatening to kill Prime Minister and Home Minister of India which is evident from the videos gone viral in social media and direct the state authorities to normalise the situation for the sake of convenience of the general public."

The plea also sought action against several opposition leaders and social activists for allegedly provoking protesters at Shaheen Bagh.