Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, 31, was detained from Jama Masjid by Delhi Police.
Highlights
- Around 40 were detained in clashes that broke out in Delhi's Daryaganj
- Protestors outside Delhi police headquarters demanded their release
- Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was detained early this morning
A number of protesters gathered outside the Delhi Police headquarters in the national capital on Friday night to demand the release of around 40 people who were detained in clashes that broke out during an agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Daryaganj area that afternoon. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who had escaped from the police custody on Friday, was again detained early this morning.
Eight of those detained by the police were minors aged between 14 and 15 years. Police said they will only be released, provided their parents come to collect them. All the minors have been released. Doctors told NDTV that their hands were swollen, and a child with a head injury had to be sent to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital for treatment.
The police had resorted to lathi-charge and water cannons after a private car parked at Subhash Marg in Daryaganj was set afire as the protest turned violent. Sources said at least 36 people, including eight policemen, were taken to the Lok Nayak Hospital with injuries.
However, the police denied lathi-charging the protesters, saying that they only used "mild force" and water cannons. "A large number of people gathered in the Jama Masjid area for prayers on Friday afternoon. After prayers, they wanted to proceed to Jantar Mantar to protest but we tried to dissuade them, given that the capacity of the venue is under 1,000 and no prior permission was granted," news agency PTI quoted a senior police officer as saying.
The officer said that the protesters dispersed from the Jama Masjid, apparently heeding to the police's request, but later reassembled at nearby Delhi Gate. The police barricaded the area off, preventing them from moving ahead.
The officer claimed that around evening, some of the protesters began throwing stones at the police in an attempt to make them move. They retaliated, and as many as 58 additional police companies were brought in to control the situation.
After the protesters were eventually dispersed, the Rapid Action Force took out a flag march in the Daryaganj area to dissuade them from taking to the streets again.
The national capital also witnessed protests at Jama Masjid and India Gate on Friday.