Shaheen Bagh responds to Delhi Police, says been allowing school vans to pass through

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, January 21

Shaheen Bagh has responded to Delhi Police’s tweet about the “hardship” caused by their protests to school children saying that they were allowing schools vans to pass their blockade. 

Protesters at Shaheen Bagh posted a tweet in response to Delhi Police’s appeals saying that they understood the anxiety that parents faced and have been allowing school vans to pass Kalandi Kunj park since schools reopened. 

“We are allowing school vans to cross through near Kalandi Kunj park since schools have reopened. We look forward to your cooperation in these issues,” they said in a tweet on Shaheen Bagh’s official handle @Shaheenbaghoff1

“Dear Delhi Police, we too have children of our own, and understand parents’ worries for their children’s schooling and futures. Many of our children are still recovering from unfair injuries sustained at JMI.  Keeping schools in mind, we are allowing school vans to cross,” they second in a second tweet, and posted a video of protesters allowing school vans to pass. 

Their tweets were in response to Delhi Police’s appeals on Twitter. 

“We have already appealed to you once before. Meanwhile, more complaints have been received regarding inconvenience due to blockade of Road No.13A, particularly to school children who are facing extreme hardship in reaching their schools, coaching centres, and private tuitions,” Delhi Police tweeted. 

“Their parents have expressed deep anxiety in view of forthcoming Board examinations. Daily commuters, local residents and businesspersons are also facing acute harassment. We once again appeal to the protesters at Shaheen Bagh to clear the road and restore normal traffic,” a second tweet said.

Shaheen Bagh has been witnessing women-led protests and sit-ins for over a month against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. The protests have since quickly become emblematic of resistance to the law in India.  Similar protests are also being held in Lucknow and Kolkata, as well as several citizens’ protests across the country. 

The law offers Indian Citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis and Buddhists, but excludes Muslims—a decision that BJP’s critics have objected to. The critics argue that CAA, taken in conjunction with the contentious National Citizen Registry exercise that the central government had previously and repeatedly endorsed could be used to target the country’s Muslim population.

After facing backlash, the central government has claimed that the CAA had nothing to with the NRC exercise, but critics use statements by made ministers, in particular, Home Minister Amit Shah, to claim that the two cannot be seen separately.