With the protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act entering 37th day at Shaheen Bagh on Monday, the protesters seem to be rigid on their stand and are not willing to quit without any concrete decision on the Act.
However, no serious efforts to convince the protesters have been seen yet from the authorities except some low-rung police officers persuading them.
Meanwhile, the protesters are looking ahead for the January 22 Supreme Court hearing on the matter.
“We will not go back an inch. We are getting unprecedented support and look towards the apex court with hope,” Mohd Ehtesham, a protestor at Shaheen Bagh was quoted saying by IANS.
Due to the protests, the key link between Noida-South Delhi, Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch, has been affected as people need to take a detour due to its closure.
The Delhi Police had on Friday appealed to protesters to move to another location in the city and free the route for the commuters.
A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Delhi High Court by advocate Amit Sahni on the road closure issue due to ongoing protests. In his petition, he cited the hardships faced by the commuters in the national capital region due to the ongoing protest.
On the petition, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to intervene on the issue of removal of the protesters and said the onus was on the administration.
The concerned respondent authorities shall also keep in mind the larger public interests as well as maintenance of law and order,” a bench comprising Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said.
On Sunday evening, hundreds of protesters from Jamia Millia Islamia University to Shaheen Bagh marched in protest against the CAA, PTI reported.
Expressing eagerness for the apex court’s decision on January 22 on the CAA, former Union Minister and a veteran lawyer Salman Khurshid said, “One hopes the Supreme Court will be able to find a solution that balances the competing aspirations within the federal structure and constitutional morality, keeping in mind the conventions that need to be respected. Of course, the Supreme Court judgment will be the last word till a future Parliament chooses to reverse it.”