CAA Protests As It Happened: Cops Use Water Canon On Protesters At Delhis Darjyaganj, Cars Set On Fire

Even as massive protests were held across the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act , three people lost their lives in the protest that went violent in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow and two people in Karnataka’s Mangaluru. 

On Friday there was a huge security covers across Delhi with prohibitory orders in many parts. In Lucknow, where one person died, the DGP told NDTV that the police’s focus now was on the ‘Friday prayers’. 

6:35 pm: Sonia Gandhi Says ‘People Have Right To Raise Voice’ And Criticises ‘Brute Force’ On Protesters

“In a democracy people have the right to raise their voice against wrong decisions & policies of the government and register their concerns… BJP government has shown utter disregard for people’s voices & chosen to use brute force to suppress dissent,” Sonia Gandhi said in a video message. 

She also said the NRC will hurt the poor and vulnerable in the country. 

6:17 pm: Cops Use Water Canon On Protesters At Delhi’s Darjyaganj, Cars Set On Fire

While protests continued after the Friday prayers in Old Delhi, ANI reported that the police used water canons on protesters in Daryaganj in Old Delhi, near Delhi gate. 

Visuals showed that a car had been set ablaze in the area. 

6:20 pm: One Person Killed In Firozabad

After protests in UP’s Firozabad turned violent, News18 reported that one person had been killed in the protests as police cracked down on the agitation. 

4.47 pm: Internet services suspended in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr

Internet services have been suspended in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district from 3 pm on Friday, officials told PTI.

“In order to maintain law and order and communal harmony, all mobile internet services are being suspended from 3 pm on December 20 in entire Bulandshahr. Internet-related loop lines and lease lines too shall remain suspended,” District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar stated in an order.

4.18 pm: Violence In Parts Of Uttar Pradesh

Protesters clashed with police at several places in Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, protesters threw stones at the police and they retaliated with tear gas. 

4.05 pm: BJP party worker and his associates, in fake skull caps, detained

A BJP party worker and his five associates were detained by Murshidabad police after they were caught by locals throwing stones at a train engine, reported The Telegraph . 

The youths were wearing lungi and skullcap and claimed that it was for the sake of a Youtube video. The police, however, said they could not prove that they have a Youtube channel.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said on Thursday, “We have specific inputs that the BJP is buying skull caps for its cadres, who are wearing them while vandalising properties to malign a particular community.”

3.51 pm: Mangaluru Police Releases Detained Journalists

Mangaluru Police said six-seven journalists were detained in the morning and they have all been released now. Reports said that the journalists were from Kerala-based news channels. 

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had tweeted, “Necessary measures must be put in place to ensure the safety of Malayalee journalists who went for reporting in Mangaluru.”

3.46 pm: Jamia Millia Islamia Metro Station Closed 

3:24 pm: Stone Pelting In Gorakhpur, Lathi Charge In Firozabad 

Police clashed with the protesters in BJP ruled UP’s Gorakhpur. Reports suggest protesters pelted stones at the police. 

In Firozabad police lathi charged protesters after Friday prayers. 

This comes even after Yogi Adityanath warned protesters of “revenge” by saying the government will auction off property of those who destroy public property. 

3:13 pm: Jaffrabad And Maujpur-Babarpur Metros Shut

2:21 pm: Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Azad Escapes Police 

Now NDTV reports that Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad has escaped from the police. 

The police had detain Azad after he led protests at Delhi’s Jama Masjid after Friday prayers. 

1:51 pm: Bhim Army Chief Detained

Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad has been detained by the police after protest at Delhi’s Jama Masjid. Led by Aazad, the Bhim Army was protesting near the Jama Masjid against the CAA. 

1:20 pm: Sloganeering In Jama Masjid After Friday Prayers, Bhim Army Chief Appears Amid Protesters

Television visuals showed that people who went in to offer Friday prayers at the Jama Masjid were seen raising slogans after the prayers were over. 

People were seen holding posters saying ‘reject NRC and CAA’. The people protested inside the premises of the historic mosque because of Section 144 outside the Jama Masjid. 

While the police were on the look out for Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, and failed to find him, TV visuals showed he evaded the cops and emerged among protesters inside the mosque. 

12:44 pm: Chawri Bazar, Lal Quila And Jama Masjid Metro Stations Shut

12:41 pm: Bhim Army Protest Begins At Jama Masjid

TV reports on NDTV shows that the Bhim Army protest at Delhi’s Jama Masjid has begun. While leader Chandrashekhar Azad is not there at the protest yet, he is likely to arrive at the area soon. 

Delhi Police PRO MS was quoted by News18 as saying that there is no permission for Bhim Army to protest at Jama Masjid, but they could go and protest at Jantar Mantar. 

12:30 pm: Flag March In Delhi’s Seelampur Area

The Delhi police on Friday carried out a flag march in Dehli’s Seelampur that saw protests turn violent on Thursday.  

12:30 pm: Flag March In Delhi’s Seelampur Area

The Delhi police on Friday carried out a flag march in Dehli’s Seelampur that saw protests turn violent on Thursday.  

12:15 pm: Prohibitory Orders In 12 Police Station Areas Of Delhi

12:35 pm: Owaisi Condemns Police Violence Against Protesters

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, who had torn the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament during the debate, said on Friday that it was the right of every citizen to protest, and the violence against protesters were condemnable. 

The Times of India identified the deceased in Lucknow as Mohammed Wakil and the two protesters in who died in Jaleel Bengre and Nauseen Kudroli. 

The Uttar Pradesh DGP, OP Singh said on Thursday evening that he did not know how Wakil suffered the bullet injury and maintained that the police did not fire at the protesters.  

Eight people have died so far across the country because of the CAA protests. This Twitter user made a list of those who had died. 

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said he had nstructed police to exercise restraint while handling agitations and alleged that Congress was behind the protests. To allay fears among the Muslims, he said protecting their interests was the government’s responsibility.

Meanwhile the Karnataka Home Minister put the blame for the deaths on protesters who came from Kerala. “People who had come from Kerala to participate in the protest also tried to set fire to a police station in Mangaluru and damaged public property. To control the mob, police had to use force,” Basavaraj Bommai said according to PTI. 

Meanwhile photos from across the country showed massive crowds walking down the streets. In Mumbai they gathered at the August Kranti Maidan, in Delhi they were at Jantar Mantar. 

Here’s a Twitter user who compiled all the photos together. 

Meanwhile in Delhi 1,200 people were picked up from across the city who had turned up to march against the CAA. People were picked up from Red Fort and Mandi House, put in buses and let off further away. 

However, that did not deter people from gathering at Jantar Mantar. 

Today there are protests likely in Jama Masjid at 1 pm and India Gate at 4 pm.