Challenging the Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters who occupied Road number 13, a group of local residents staged a demonstration on Sunday demanding removal of barricades from the road connecting Noida with Kalindi Kunj. Displaying placards and posters, the protestors, including women, raised slogans such as "Jai Shree Ram", "Vande Matram" and "Khali Karao Shaheen Bagh wallo ko".
Senior Delhi Police officials who were present on the spot, managed to persuade them to cal off their sit in and they vacated the place by noon. "We spoke to them at length and they agreed to leave the place and the area is peaceful now", said Chinmoy Biswal, the DCP of Southeast district.
The protesters demanded that the people, who have been sitting on dharna there for over a month to protest against the amended citizenship act, should clear the stretch as the commuters are facing difficulties.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Devesh Srivastava and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Chinmoy Biswal and many other senior police officials were present at the protest site monitoring the situation to ensure no untoward incident takes place. The officers deployed on the area were seen trying to negotiate with the protestors and asking them to maintain peace.
"It is enough now, the residents of this area want their streets and roads to be cleared as it is causing inconvenience for the school children and office goers. The school children and office goers are facing difficulties to reach their destination since last one month due to this ongoing protest against the CAA," said a resident of Shaheen Bagh area.
While another resident of the Jasola area said, "These days we are reaching our office and work very late due to this protest. Also, due to the protest, the business is going in loss because the public is not coming to the area due to the closure of roads.
"Earlier, the residents were somehow crossing the roads by entering the protest site but now after the firing incidents took place in the area, checking has been increased and even our relative does not want to visit our house. Moreover, the e-rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers also refuse to enter the area. One should have their opinion but what about the commuters and common people, if protesting your fundamental right then doesn't we have the right to move and live freely," says a resident of Sukhdev Vihar.
The protesters who were detained and asked by the police to vacate the area by the police said, "These people are protesting for the last one month and the police did not remove them but we came here for one day and they are forcing us to leave the area. The board examinations are nearing and the office goers getting late daily. What only they the right to protest for their rights? Is commuting freely not our rights," rued another protester. About 52 people were initially detained from the protest site but were released shortly, police said.