City in tumult over Citizenship Act

New Delhi: The ongoing protest by Jamia Millia Islamia students over Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) on Sunday, turned violent when the locals in the area got involved and police had to resort to tear gas shelling. The locals in the area burnt four DTC buses at New Friends Colony, earlier in the day, while many buses were vandalised.

Nearly 60 people including students, policemen and fire fighters were injured.

According to Ainaz, a student at the university, "We were peacefully protesting when the locals in the area started marching towards Kalindi Kunj, on the turn towards the road, police stopped the marching crowd."

Students alleged that the locals also included "politically influential people" who when stopped tried to move forward but police resorted to lathi-charge. "The people from the march started running

away, which is when they mixed with us. As the police could not do anything, they started beating the students," said

Umair, a third-year bachelor's student.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said that at around 3 pm on Sunday, a crowd of more than 1,500-2,000 people gathered at the university area and started going towards New Delhi. Near Surya hotel they were stopped. "We told them not to indulged in any kind of violence but some groups from the crowd blocked the Ring road. Our police personnel requested them not to hinder the traffic movements but they did not listen," said DCP Biswal.

"We used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Later with the help of community elders we tried to convince them to stop the violence," added Biswal.

Students have alleged that they were not part of the march, and were sitting outside the campus and protesting. They also said that the police entered the campus and the prayer area, and started beating up the students. Many students had hidden inside the campus. "The police forcefully entered the library of the campus, and started beating us up," said a student, who had somehow managed to come out of the campus. She was panting and crying due to the tear gas. "They beat us and spared no one. They were throwing tear gas continuously inside the campus," said the hysterical student.

Meanwhile, police officials said that the students and the locals both were throwing stones at police personnel. "Please cover your head. These people have been pelting stones and they are pretty big ones," said police personnel. Many police personnel were also injured in the standoff.

On the other hand, more than 50 students have been reportedly detained. However, no number has come out from the police's side. A student who was being detained told the reporters, "We were inside the library, and hiding as the police had forcefully entered,

then they just picked us up and are taking us somewhere," said the student.

The standoff between the police and the local, meanwhile continued, with tear gas being used. Police have said that the locals had thrown petrol bombs. The university students, meanwhile are scared and gravely injured. "I am just alive, that's all. I will tell my parents that I am alive," Ainaz told Millennium Post.

Moreover, the students have alleged that the police had also used bullets, but the authorities have denied any such claim. Tear gas was used non-stop to fend off the crowd, stressed police personnel. Meanwhile, students at Jamia said they were not against the police and failed to understand why they had to use so much violence. "We understand the point of view of the police, but we were not part of the violent mob," said Umair. On the other hand, a resident

of Batla House, where many people had collected and were protesting, said that his sister's husband was reportedly ill. "Ambulances had refused to come to the area. My husband is vomiting blood, I am scared," she told the media.