Watch: Ground report from Shaheen Bagh after Centre bans PFI
After two rounds of pan India crackdown, including the one on Tuesday in which several people were arrested from Shaheen Bagh, and arrests of over 240 members of Popular Front Of India (PFI) in a week, the Centre Government on Wednesday morning banned the outfit for five years and its affiliates.
After the news was splashed in the early morning, the media landed in the locality to gather feedback from residents outside a building used by PFI.
TV reporters of most mainstream news channels were seen on the spot trying to speak with residents. If some interacted with them many were unwilling to open up and walked away after mike was put before them, said residents.
And then very close by a few policemen were also standing. Ahead of the building, road construction was being done.
After the ban, the area was peaceful as it was from Shaheen Bagh from where several people were arrested and some detained in a late night crackdown. Local AAP leader Mohammad Jabir was among those who were arrested from his house in Shaheen Bagh.
Shoaib Ahmad, a student at Delhi University’s Zakir Hussain College, was also picked up from Shaheen Bagh, said sources with many influencers and portals tweeting about his arrest.
Activist Sharib Hasan told the OT that some 12 people were arrested and activist Shaheen Kausar detained in the PFI crackdown was released later in the day with her husband.
Also, on Tuesday, many Okhla residents came to know about section 144 being imposed in the locality after Jamia Millia Islamia administration warned its students and teachers to not participate in any gathering or dharna on the campus as section 144 was imposed.
On Wednesday, life turned out to be normal on the campus and Shaheen Bagh with residents busy in their daily work save some activities of journalists outside a building of PFI in the locality. Residents said security was upped in the locality.
