Activist Bindhu Ammini, one of the women who entered Sabarimala temple in January, has been taken into police custody in New Delhi for taking part in the protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. She is among several other students who have been detained. Police clashed with protesters who were agitating in front of the Uttar Pradesh Bawan in New Delhi.
The protests were led by a collective of various students’ associations of Jamia Millia Islamia University. The students had called for a protest at the UP Bhawan. A few members of DYFI - the youth wing of CPI(M) - were also part of the protests.
As per reports, Bindhu Ammini was detained around 6.10 pm on Friday and has been shifted to the Mandir Marg police station. Prohibitory orders have been in place in the region since Friday.
PA Muhammed Riyas, the national president of DYFI has also been detained by the Delhi police along with several students.
According to reports, the protest on Friday turned violent as the police forcefully tried to disperse the protesters away from the spot. In videos that have surfaced now, Delhi police can be seen chasing the students who were marching to UP Bhawan.
#DelhiPolice chased and detained protesters on the way to UP Bhawan at Kautilya Marg. #CAAProtests pic.twitter.com/g4EKYCw8VQ
— Saurabh Trivedi (@saurabh3vedi) December 27, 2019
Bindhu Ammini, a lecturer at Government Law College in Kozhikode, was one of the two women to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala after Supreme Court ordered that women of all ages could enter the temple. She was recently attacked by a Hindu right wing activist in Kochi while accompanying activist Trupti Desai who came to Kerala to go to Sabarimala temple. The man, a member of Hindu Helpline, sprayed pepper spray on Bindu Ammini’s face.
Reportedly, the detained protesters, including Bindu Ammini, will be let off by the Delhi police shortly. The collective of the students of JMU, meanwhile, has called for a sit-in protest in front of the Mandir Marg police station until the detainees are left off. The Lok Kalyan Marg metro station has been closed following the clashes.