New Delhi, February 23: Clashes erupted between pro and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters in Maujpur area, close to Jaffrabad where a Shaheen Bagh-like demonstration was held on Sunday. Both the sides resorted to stone pelting, which compelled the Delhi Police to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob. The situation was brought under control by the time preliminary reports had emerged.

The pro-CAA rally, which confronted the anti-CAA demonstrators, was allegedly led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra, reports said. After the two sides came face to face, clashes erupted between them and miscreants on either sides began pelting stones, a police official was reported as saying. A few persons were reported to have sustained minor injuries in the stone pelting. Entry and Exit Gates Shut at Jaffrabad Metro Station as Women Stage Shaheen Bagh-Like Protest.

Update by ANI

After the clashes were reported, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) ordered the closure of entry and exit gates of Maujpur-Babarpur station. The move was aimed at preventing the further mobilisation of protesters from either sides.

The Delhi Police has deployed additional personnel of the riot control squad to prevent the situation from deteriorating. Police barricades have been imposed in several parts of north-east Delhi to prevent the movement of protesters. The anti-CAA and pro-CAA demonstrators, who are still present in the region, have been confined to smaller places.

Mishra, who is being accused of leading the pro-CAA rally, had marked his dissent against the Jaffrabad protest earlier in the day. Criticising the demonstration, the former MLA said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accurate in describing Shaheen Bagh as an "experiment". The protesters, he said, would now choke other parts of Delhi to pressurise the government.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2020 05:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).