New Delhi: Following this afternoon’s namaaz, thousands gathered at Delhi’s historic Jama Masjid to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed all-India National Register of Citizens (NRC)
Last night, news began circulating that Dalit rights leader Chandra Shekhar Aazad would be holding a protest at the 17th-century mosque. This morning, there were rumours that Aazad had already been arrested before the protest could begin.
At around 11 am, Aazad tweeted: “Don’t listen to news that I have been arrested. I am reaching Jama Masjid.”
कृपया मेरी गिरफ्तारी की अफवाहों पर ध्यान न दें।
मैं जामा मस्जिद पहुंच रहा हूँ।— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) December 20, 2019
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True to his word, he reached the mosque and was identifiable in a blue jacket. At that time, people were filing into the mosque for prayers. As they were leaving the mosque, at around 1 pm, Aazad emerged on the steps of the mosque, took off his jacket, held up a copy of the constitution and amid loud cheers, addressed the crowd.
Several thousands had gathered around him, rendering his voice inaudible.
Soon, police made a move to detain the Ambedkarite leader, and a dramatic chase sequence followed where Aazad escaped amidst the thronging crowds.
According to an Indian Express reporter, “He ran from house to house and jumped over terraces to avoid getting caught.”
#UPDATE: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was detained from outside Jama Masjid, but he managed to escape as there was a lot of resistence from the crowd. He ran from house to house and jumped over terraces to avoid getting caught. @IndianExpress, @ieDelhi
— Mahender Singh (@mahendermanral) December 20, 2019
At around 6 pm, Aazad tweeted: “Those who are committing violence are not our people. We are doing peaceful and lawful protests at Jama Masjid. Ambedkarites don’t practice violence. Those who are committing violence are from the RSS, not from our side. I’m at Jama Masjid and I will be staying here. Those committing violence want to weaken out movement.”
जो हिंसा कर रहें है वो हमारा नही है। हमारा शांतिपूर्वक प्रोटेस्ट ऐतिहासिक जामा मस्जिद पर चल रहा है। अम्बेडकरवादी हिंसा नही करते है। जो हिँसा कर रहे है वो आरएसएस के लोग है हमारे नही। मैं जामा मस्जिद पर ही हूँ और यही रहुँगा। हिंसा करने वाले हमारे आंदोलन को कमजोर करना चाहते है।
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) December 20, 2019
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Aazad’s protest today was due to be symbolic for a number of reasons: From his own point of view, it was a call for Dalit and Muslim unity against the CAA and NRC. The process, many fear, could lead to the exclusion of Muslims and potentially any Indian, from citizenship in India – an outcome the government has ruled out in a series of advertisements which have found few takers. Posters of Ambedkar were held up all over the protest site, along with the Indian flag.
Also read: Delhi Goes to Protest: Ground Report From a City Undeterred
Crowds also peacefully gathered at the steps of the Jama Masjid, despite the mosque’s own Shahi Imam saying on Wednesday, that the new citizenship law would not affect Muslims. The faithful in his own mosque defied him, in their show of strength today.
A Muslim man offers a member of security forces personnel a flower as part of anti-CAA protests on December 20. Photo: PTI
Although hundreds of police personnel were stationed around the mosque and the Old Delhi area and there were double rows of barricades around the narrow entries and exits of the mosque, the violence the authorities anticipated never materialised. Around 5 pm, they began to enter the crowds and disperse them.
By 5 pm, the Jama Masjid speakers came on and began the call to prayer. Hundreds of the protesters who were still there, formed neat rows, some on the road, and began to pray. They were flanked by police barricades, Delhi police personnel and the Rapid Action Force.
One of the most numinous and simultaneously chilling moments I have seen today was the protestors efficiently and peacefully coming together to do the namaaz while the police watched and waited.#DelhiGate pic.twitter.com/MZhBaNQ0zl
— Naomi Barton (@therealnaomib) December 20, 2019
Around the same time, Aazad tweeted from wherever he was, that he was still at Jama Masjid. “Modi ji, we will not allow you to destroy the constitution. This country is ours and we will fight for this country till the end.”
मैं यहाँ जामा मस्जिद की सीढ़ियों पर मोदी सरकार को यह बताने के लिए बैठा हूँ कि मोदी जी हम आपको संविधान की हत्या नही करने देंगे। यह देश हमारा है और इसको बचाने की लड़ाई हम आखिरी दम तक लड़ेंगे।
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) December 20, 2019
