Delhi Police Links CAA Protests to Regime Change, Opposes Bail Plea for Activists

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The Delhi Police has claimed in the Supreme Court that the 2020 anti-CAA protests in the capital were not just a peaceful demonstration, but a conspiracy aimed at regime change, similar to Bangladesh and Nepal. The Delhi Police made this assertion while opposing the bail plea of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others in connection with the February 2020 riots case. According to the police, the protests were orchestrated by several accused, including Tahir Hussain, Shifa Ur Rahman, Meeran Haider, Ishrat Jahan, and Khalid Saifi, who allegedly financed the violence. The Additional Solicitor General, S V Raju, cited witness statements indicating that the conspirators planned and executed the violence, including organizing chakka jams to disrupt the situation and mobilizing rioters armed with sticks and acid bottles. The police claimed that the protesters had a clear intention to bring about regime change, disregarding the Indian Constitution. The violence, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured, erupted during widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Delhi Police has argued that the protests were not spontaneous but an 'orchestrated, pre-planned, and well-designed' attack on the country's sovereignty. The Supreme Court will hear the matter on November 24. The Delhi Police has also argued that intellectuals like Khalid and Imam, who are engineering graduates, pose a significant threat as they can mobilize people more effectively than those working on the ground. This is not the first time the Delhi Police has made such a claim, as they had previously argued that there is a trend of doctors and engineers engaging in anti-national activities.