'Shaheen Bagh protest not causing inconvenience'

February 18, 2020 23:16

A day after the Supreme Court expressed concern on blockade of a public road at Shaheen Bagh and suggested that the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protestors shift to another site, several of those participating in the stir contested the claim that the sit-in was causing inconvenience to a large number of commuters.

The Supreme Court has asked senior advocate Sanjay Hegde to act as interlocutor and persuade protestors to move to an alternative site where no public place is blocked.

It said Hegde can take assistance of advocate Sadhana Ramachandran and former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah for talking to the protestors.

The interlocutors had their first discussion over the Shaheen Bagh blockade on Tuesday. However, they said that they are awaiting the copy of the SC order copy before meeting the Shaheen Bagh protestors.

Several protestors on Tuesday said that the Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj road in southeast Delhi, which is blocked for over two months, is used by only a few commuters, that too mostly from the vicinity of Jamia Nagar and Okhla who had agreed to the use of the site for the demonstration.

Hafeez Saiyed, a printing press owner who is a regular at the Shaheen Bagh protest, said, "When the Shaheen Bagh protest began around December, the residents first had a discussion over the venue. When the shade was put up for the women to sit and protest, the shopkeepers on the entire stretch agreed to give that space."

He said the policemen too came to the spot several times and did not raise any objection saying that "it is a peaceful protest".

"Only when the Centre alleged that these protests are sponsored by the Congress and the AAP, that the Delhi Police started seeing this as a blockade," he claimed.

The stretch of Shaheen Bagh to Kalindi Kunj road which is about two to three kilometres has commercial centres housing shops and restaurants. The road ends at Atlanta Water Park. The Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj road is parallel to the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway which is used by a large number of commuters between Delhi and Noida.

Shaheeda Sheikh, a protestor, said, "We have been staying in Shaheen Bagh for the past 30 years. The Kalindi Kunj road is used mainly by residents of Shaheeh Bagh, Jamia Nagar, Abu Fazal Enclave and Okhla specially for the shops here.

"The commuters who travel to Noida regularly anyway take the parallel highway. When the parallel road to the highway is open as well as all lanes of Shaheen Bagh except this road, why the applicants want to use only this road?," she said.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by advocate Amit Sahni, who had earlier approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions to Delhi Police to ensure smooth traffic flow on the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch, which was blocked by anti-CAA protestors on December 15 last year. -- PTI

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

SC dismisses pleas to review Article 370 revocation verdict in Dec 2023

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud considered the pleas in chambers and dismissed applications for listing of the review petition in open Court.

Briton dead, many hurt as turbulence hits SIA flight; 3 Indians among flyers

The airline confirmed that there were injuries onboard, and stated that all "possible assistance" will be provided to the passengers on the aircraft.

Pune accident: Registration of Porsche car that mowed down 2 yet to be done

Maharashtra transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar told PTI that the Porsche car was imported in March by a dealer in Bengaluru and from there it was sent to Maharashtra on a temporary registration.

Phase 5 voter turnout at 62.19%; nears 2019 polling percentage

The fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections has so far registered a voter turnout of approximately 62.19 percent, 1.97 percentage points less than 2019.

Qualifier 1: How Starc ripped into in-form SRH batting

Pacer Mitchell Starc was adjudged player of the match for his sensational bowling up front when he claimed the scalps of Travis Head, Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in the powerplay.