Delhi Police clears Shaheen Bagh protest site amid lockdown over coronavirus

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Delhi Police cleared New Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area on March 24 amid a complete lockdown in the national capital over the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Shaheen Bagh area had witnessed a sit-in protest against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC) for around 100 days. The protest has been largely led by women. The sit-in started on December 15, 2019, soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre passed CAA in Parliament.

Demonstrators have also been appealing to the Central to revive the economy, to take steps for tackling unemployment and women's safety.

While thousands of people — including celebrities from various fields — had joined the protest in the past, there have been efforts from various corners to remove the blockade. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delhi government had earlier placed restrictions on the assembly of more than five people. Consequently, the number of protesters had significantly decreased.

#WATCH Delhi Police clears the protest site in Shaheen Bagh area, amid complete lockdown in the national capital, in wake of #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/N6MGLTLs5Z

— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2020