Many students have gathered at Delhi’s Red Fort today to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The nationwide protest has now gained momentum as reports of people being detained across the country are pouring in. If you are on the road, taking the metro or anywhere in the national Capital, here is what you need to know.
Travel Advisory
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has closed 17 metro stations in the city which include prominent ones on the yellow line. The entry and exit gates at Patel Chowk, Lok Kalyan Marg, Udyog Bhawan, ITO, Pragati Maidan, Barakhamba and Khan Market in Central Delhi have been shut too.
According to tweets and other news reports, the police has barricaded common routes in the city including the Gurgaon-Delhi highway, which is leading to hour-long traffic for commuters. There are various roads including in the areas of Kalindi Kunj, Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University, that have been blocked as well.
Also read: Section 144 Imposed In Parts Of The Country To Quell CAB & NRC Protests
Internet And Mobile Connectivity Shut Down
In the light of recent protests, Airtel has shut down internet, voice calls in certain parts of Delhi. As per news reports, it has been done to comply with government orders. Vodafone and Idea have also joined the bandwagon and cut off mobile network connectivity in protest areas. Government has issued a notice to disrupt cellular services in 5 parts of Delhi that include North and Central districts, Mandi House and Jamia Nagar.
Imposition Of Section 144
Currently, Section 144 has been imposed in two parts of Delhi. It was initially imposed in the Red Fort area and as the protests escalated, it has now been imposed in Mandi House as well.
Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 authorises the Executive Magistrate of any state or territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area. According to the law, every member of such ‘unlawful assembly’ can be booked for engaging in rioting. Under this, the violators can be detained for a maximum of 3 years.
As more and more people are being detained across the country, and the protests are scaling up, we suggest taking precautions before stepping out.