Hindu Sena Calls Off Plan to Unleash Violence on Shaheen Bagh Protesters
New Delhi: Reports have said that rightwing group Hindu Sena, which had threatened violence against those engaged in peaceful dharna at Shaheen Bagh on February 2, have called off their plans for mobilisation on Sunday.
The Sena had called on its supporters to remove all protesters from the area.
In a press release, Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta has reportedly said that the decision to call off the event was taken “after meeting and discussing the law and order situation with South-East DCP Chinmoy Biswal and other senior officers of Delhi Police to maintain peace in the area,” reported The Quint.
Amidst heightening tension, a shooter opening fire on Saturday and threats of violence, the women at Shaheen Bagh had called for an “urgent mobilisation” on Sunday as a show of support “in a time of crisis”.
A man claiming to want a ‘Hindu rashtra’ had fired a gun at the protest area in Shaheen Bagh on Saturday. Earlier on January 28, a man had also brandished a gun inside the protest area
“In light of these incidents and statements. and as we approach the Delhi elections on 8th of February, 2020, we request Delhi’s citizens to join us at Shaheen Bagh tomorrow, on the 2nd of February, 2020 to show solidarity with our cause of defending the Constitution,” said a statement posted on the Twitter account of the protesters read.
Sunday marks the 50th day of the sit-in began in protest against the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. The protests have been largely led by local Muslim women of all ages, who have argued that the provisions in CAA is discriminatory and violates the Indian constitution. They have also pointed out that CAA, along with the proposal to extend National Register for Citizens nationwide as mentioned by Union home minister Amit Shah several times, would disempower a large section of the community.
The Delhi election campaign have seen the Bharatiya Janta Party targeting anti-CAA protestors. Junior finance minister Anurag Thakur had led a chant in an election rally to “shoot the traitors”, referencing Shaheen Bagh and other protests. On January 30, a man showed a gun at a march of Jamia students, in the presence of Delhi police personnel. He shot off a bullet which injured one student.
A few hours after the incident in Jamia, Amit Shah seemed to compare protesters at Shaheen Bagh to terrorists. “On the one side it’s Narendra Modi, who conducted airstrikes and surgical strikes on Pakistan’s soil to kill terrorists, and on the other, there are these people who back Shaheen Bagh [the ruling Aam Aadmi Party]. You have to decide,” Shah said, addressing a rally.
A BJP candidate for Hari Nagar constituency, Tajinder Bagga said on Friday that the day of the counting for Delhi election, February 11, will witness a “surgical strike” on the protestors at Shaheen Bagh.
The statement issued by the “women of Shaheen Bagh” stated that they were “increasingly fearful of the consequences of the politicisation of these peaceful protests and maintain that we are a non-partisan gathering”.
“We need your urgent support in this time of crisis. This is our earnest appeal to the conscience of all citizens of this nation—please join us,” they said.
