'If we dont unite now, then when': Thousands protest near Jamia

Thousands of people poured onto the streets near the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi as protests against the controversial citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens continued on Tuesday.

Braving freezing cold, the protesters, mostly local residents, started converging outside gate number 7 at Jamia Nagar around 10 am.

The crowd swelled as the day progressed and slogans like "Azaadi (freedom) from atrocities", loud claps and cheers rent the cold air, while many were holding up the Tricolour and placards with messages like: "We need equality".

Some of the protesters formed a circle outside the gate number 7, while many formed human chains along yellow ropes.

Women-led groups were also seen taking out marches in the narrow, congested lanes of residential areas, appealing to the people to come out of their homes and join their "protest for justice".

Schoolchildren held out placards reading "we want justice" as their buses drove through the area.

A group of women held up posters that showed blood oozing out of the eyes of a blind-folded woman and sang "Saare Jahan se Accha".

A poster pasted on the windscreen of a car shows a policeman wielding a baton and a quote below reads: "Those who are creating violence can be identified by their clothes itself".

A group of around 30 lawyers also joined the protest after 4 pm. "We have come here to extend moral support to the protesters and to meet the injured students," D S Bindra, one of the lawyers, said.

A few students said though many of their classmates had gone back home, they had decided to stay put and fight till the amendments in the Citizenship Act were withdrawn.

Anas Mohammad, a BA student, said his family is worried back home in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, but he would not go home.

"Ab CAB aya, to ghar jayenge. Jab NRC ayega, to kahan jayenge (Now CAB has come, we're heading home. Where will we go when NRC will be implemented)?" he asked.

Shabana, a BEd student, said things would get worse from here onwards. "It's time we get united. If we don't unite now, then when?" she added.

A few locals were upset with the media and claimed they did not show their side of the story.

Munsari Khatun, 57, waited at the gates for the "madam who asked her to come to the protest at 9 am".

"On Monday, many women from my area, Gaffar Manzil, took part in the protest. One madam asked me to come at 9 am. She's not here," Khatun said. "I will come back later with other women."