Anti-CAA protesters show solidarity with Dalits; police claim it a 'conspiracy'

new delhi: The Delhi Police, in its chargesheet filed in the "main conspiracy" case, has now claimed that anti-CAA protesters and members of the Jamia Coordination Committee had misrepresented a Bharat Bandh called by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad against a Supreme Court order on reservation to mobilise people for the anti-CAA sit-in at Chand Bagh.

However, the evidence that police have presented does not show that the activists had misrepresented Azad's call for protest. In fact, chat transcripts and posters show that protesters correctly identified Azad's protest call. Other messages show anti-CAA protesters intending to show their solidarity with their Dalit brothers and sisters.

"In the meeting, they decided to use the cover of Bharath Bandh call given by Bhim Army. Though the call of Bheem [sic] Army had nothing to do with the anti CAA protests. The conspirators digitally photoshopped posters with the image of Chandrashekhar Azad, leader of the Bhim Army with their slogans to be used as a ploy to assemble at Chand Bagh under the garb of the march from Chand Bagh to Rajghat," the Special Cell claimed.

But the chat transcripts cited by police show a message purportedly sent by Safoora, saying, "kal chandbagh aajoa (Come to Chand Bagh tomorrow)." The poster the Delhi Police referred to had the following text: "On the call of Bhim Army Bharat Band on 23rd February 2020, unite against scrapping of reservation against CAA NRC, against witch-hunting of protestors, March from Chandbagh to Rajghat, Jamia Coordination Committee."

In fact, another message on the group chats to coordinate protests said, "We have to join them in full force kal Dalits ka call hai. We have to stand in full support with each other." Other messages did pour in about the march but mostly others spoke of chakka jams and gheraoing the CM and PM's residence.

But as per the Delhi Police's interpretation, on February 22, 2020, in the late evening when anti-CAA protestors blocked the road under Jafrabad Metro Station, Asif Iqbal Tanha (JMI student), along with Saiful Islam, Safoora Zargar, Shifa ur Rahman and others held an urgent meeting of members of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) at the JCC office. "As JCC members were also members of Delhi Protest Support Group (DPSG) so they were privy to the conspirational design and execution and this meeting was called to carry out their part of the conspiracy that is to put in place chakka jaam and engineer riots," police claimed.