Anti-CAA stir turns violent in Delhi, buses torched, 60 hurt

New Delhi, December 15

Protestors torched four public buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with police in New Friends’ Colony near Jamia Millia Islamia during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act, leaving at least 60 persons, including students, policemen and fire fighters injured, officials said.

The police used batons and teargas shells to disperse the violent mob and entered the Jamia university campus, detaining several persons allegedly involved in the violence. But a Jamia students’ body claimed they had nothing to do with the violence and arson during the protest and alleged that “certain elements” had joined in and “disrupted” the demonstration. They also accused the police of high-handedness.

Later in the evening, students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) held a protest outside the Police Headquarters in central Delhi against the police action at Jamia university and the standoff continued till late in the night.

Commuters faced a harrowing time as traffic was thrown out of gear for several hours in the areas gripped by tension after the clash and Delhi Metro shut over a dozen stations. Soon after the violence, Jamia Millia Islamia Chief Proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan claimed that the Delhi Police entered the campus forcibly without any permission and beat up staff members and students who were forced to leave the campus.

Condemning the police action, university vice chancellor Najma Akhtar said students who were inside the library have been taken out and are safe. The police said they entered the university campus only to control the situation, after protesters indulged in the violence.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said four buses and two police vehicles were torched during the protest, and six policemen were injured.

He said stones were pelted from inside the university campus at police personnel, forcing them to use teargas to disperse the "violent mob".

An eyewitness claimed that protestors took out petrol from a motorcycle and used it to torch the buses. However, protesters claimed the police baton-charged them and used teargas shells when they were holding peaceful protest. As tension prevailed in the area, the city government announced closure of all schools in southeast Delhi. — PTI

Kejriwal, Jamia teachers call for maintaining peace

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “No one should indulge in violence. Any kind of violence is unacceptable. Protests should remain peaceful
• Jamia Teachers’ Association appealed to students to keep away from
• such “direction-less” protest led by “local political leaders”

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