Armed man threatens Shaheen Bagh protesters to end agitation, overpowered

An armed man, claiming to have links with a political party, entered the protest area at Shaheen Bagh on Tuesday and threatened the anti-CAA agitators there, according to eyewitnesses.

A video clip of the alleged incident which is doing the rounds on social media shows a gun-wielding man being overpowered by the protesters.

According to police, the man was identified as Mohammad Luqmaan (50), a resident of Shaheen Bagh and was carrying a licensed pistol.

He is a building contractor and had gone to the protest site with a group of people to talk to the demonstrators regarding the reopening of the road blocked by them, they said.

Syed Taseer Ahmed, one of the protesters and a local said the man climbed up the stage at around 3 pm and threatened people to end the agitation.

He was, however, overpowered by other protesters and taken away from the site.

The protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Shaheen Bagh, primarily led by women, has been witnessing supporters flocking in thousands everyday.

However, it has also been criticised for blocking the road and causing inconvenience to motorists and schoolchildren.

Shaheen Bagh Official, a Twitter handle which posts updates from the protest site, wrote at 6 pm, "An official and urgent appeal from Shaheen Bagh: armed anti-social elements have entered the protest area. We fear that more right-wing groups could enter and launch an attack. We appeal to all to join the protest, strengthen our numbers and prevent any violence."

At 6.21pm, it tweeted an update.

"Infiltrators have been caught and neutralised, and the situation is back to normal. However, we are on alert for more such incidents today and in the coming days as we reach elections in Delhi. Please reach Shaheen Bagh and sites across Delhi in large numbers".