Hearing a bail plea filed by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, Delhi’s Tis Hazari court on Tuesday slammed the city police saying people can carry out peaceful protests anywhere and that it is one’s “constitutional right”.

“Jama Masjid is not Pakistan where we are not allowed to protest. Peaceful protests take place in Pakistan as well,” the court said.

“Which law mentions that there is a prohibition on protest in front of any religious place?” the court questioned.

While stating that Chandrashekhar Azad is a budding politician, the court questioned: “What was wrong with protests. It is one’s constitutional right to protest.”

Tis Hazari court’s sessions judge Kamini Lau further said: “I have seen many people, and many cases where protests happened even outside the Parliament.”

The court then adjourned hearing in the Bhim Army Chief’s bail plea till Wednesday so that the state can produce all FIRs registered against him in Saharanpur.

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Monday filed a bail plea before a Delhi court in connection with a case relating to the violence that broke in the Daryaganj area of the national capital.

Azad, who is currently in judicial custody, claimed that there was no evidence against him in the FIR which states that he had instigated the crowd to march to Delhi Gate from Jama Masjid and indulge in violence.

Meanwhile, Azad was taken to AIIMS on Monday for “follow-up consultation and treatment” after multiple appeals were made by his doctors and supporters. Azad is suffering from polycythemia, a condition in which the body makes too many red blood cells.

The Bhim Army chief was sent to judicial custody on December 21. Azad’s outfit had organised a march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar against the amended Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens on December 20, without police permission.

The Jama Masjid in Old Delhi became the site for a massive protest against CAA as Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad surfaced at the iconic monument holding a copy of the Preamble of the Constitution along with posters of BR Ambedkar as he led thousands of protesters.

Tens of hundreds of people had turned up in the Jama Masjid area and raised slogans denouncing the newly-enacted law. Protestors carried posters of Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar at the rally and demanded that the new law be withdrawn.

As protests turned violent in Daryaganj on Friday, the police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse the mob.

This followed as protesters resorted to stone-pelting at the security forces.

At least 46 people were injured in the stone-pelting and police action. A vehicle was torched outside Daryaganj police station.