Section 144 imposed in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh

Delhi Police today deployed forces and imposed Section 144 in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area which has been the epicentre of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) agitation, as protesters have been sitting on the road since December 15 demanding the withdrawal of the act.

"As a precautionary measure, there is heavy police deployment here (Shaheen Bagh); our aim is to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident from occurring," new agency ANI quoted Joint Commissioner DC Srivastava as saying.

Earlier, a right-wing group Hindu Sena had made a call to clear the Shaheen Bagh protest site today, saying that the police had failed to clear the road, so they will do it.

Hindu Sena called off the move after police intervened on Saturday. Police said that Section 144 is imposed as a "precautionary measure" in the wake of the communal violence in northeast Delhi.

Hindu Sena has alleged that the police pressurised them to call off their proposed March 1 protest. It further alleged that their national president Vishnu Gupta was "illegally detained".

The police have, however, dismissed these allegations and said that no one was detained and the organisation called off their protest after a conversation with senior officials.

Earlier, the Delhi Police's role came under the scanner for not being able to stop the unprecedented violence in northeast Delhi. At least 42 people lost their lives while over 350 have been injured in the clashes between the supporters and opponents of CAA.

The violence started on Saturday last week after BJP leader Kapil Mishra carried out a rally in Jaffrabad area and gave a three-day ultimatum to the anti-CAA protesters to clear the area.

"Three days' ultimatum for Delhi Police -- clear the roads in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. After this, we won't listen to you," he declared. In a video of the speech, he can be seen making these incendiary comments even as a Delhi Police officer stands next to him.