The Delhi Police imposed Section 144 in Shaheen Bagh today morning, which means large gatherings there are deemed illegal. Shaheen Bagh has been the site of women protesting against the CAA/NRC for months now.
According to News18, this was done as the Hindu Sena had planned a protest there to clear the area, claiming the police had failed to do so.
However, despite the Sena calling off its protest, the police said Section 144 was still being imposed as a ‘precautionary measure’. Meanwhile, the Hindu Sena has claimed they were pressured to call off the protest and that their leader was ‘illegal detained’. The police have denied this claim.
12 companies, which include 2 of female forces, have been deployed there. 100 men each from four police districts have also been deployed along with the local police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) RP Meena said,
The proposed protest call was cancelled with timely intervention. But as a precautionary measure, we have made heavy police deployment here.
The move was met with skepticism by many on Twitter.
Further updates to the situation are awaited.