Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad addresses the crowd at Jama Masjid on Friday. (Express photo) Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad addresses the crowd at Jama Masjid on Friday. (Express photo)

In a dramatic sequence of events, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was on Friday detained from outside Jama Masjid, where thousands of people gathered to protest against the amended Citizenship Act, but managed to give the police the slip.

Azad, whose Bhim Army had given the call for a protest march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar, managed to escape under the nose of the police amid resistance from the crowd. Chandrashekhar Azad ran from house to house and jumped across terraces to avoid getting caught.

The moment when Delhi Police detained Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad outside Jama Masjid. Azad managed to escape thereafter. Follow LIVE updates here: https://t.co/0CZRvM5fMe pic.twitter.com/OZ14ySvT7R — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) December 20, 2019

Earlier in the day, thousands of people held a massive protest near the Jama Masjid, shouting slogans like ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ against the Citizenship law and raising banners reading ‘save Constitution’, amidst heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces. Some protesters were also carrying posters of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Bhagat Singh.

As the numbers swelled in the afternoon, protesters assembled near Jama Masjid’s Gate number 1, with Delhi Police using drone surveillance to keep a check on any untoward incidents.

Thousands of protesters gathered at Jama Masjid to demonstrate against the Citizenship Act. (Express photo) Thousands of protesters gathered at Jama Masjid to demonstrate against the Citizenship Act. (Express photo)

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed at least four metro stations — Chawri Bazar, Lal Quila, Jama Masjid and Delhi Gate — in view of the protests.

Delhi Mahila Congress chief and former president Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha and some other members of the outfit were detained near Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence during a protest against the new law.

The development comes a day after thousands of students, activists and Opposition leaders hit the streets in the national capital on Thursday, defying prohibitory orders as authorities suspended mobile internet services for the first time in Delhi.

Opposition leaders D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat, Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dikshit and activists Yogendra Yadav, Umar Khalid were among over 1,200 people detained from areas around Red Fort and Mandi House — the sites of the two planned demonstrations.

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