Mumbai Police steps up vigil at Gateway of India fearing fresh round of protests against violence in Delhi

Mumbai: Police presence has been stepped up at the Gateway of India to thwart any attempt by people to gather at the venue to protest against the violence in Delhi, an official said on Monday night. [caption id=“attachment_7866491” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Students protesting at Mumbai’s Gateway of India. ANI[/caption] According to the official, police personnel have been deployed in large numbers around the iconic monument, located across the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai, and barricades put up at nearby roads to restrict movement of people and vehicles. The police moved to step up vigil at the Gateway of India after circulation of messages on social media that called for people to gather at the spot for candlelight protest against the Delhi violence, he said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operation) Pranay Ashok said, “No gathering would be allowed at any location in the city except the designated place for protests, which is Azad Maidan. All those who indulge in any unlawful gathering shall be arrested and offences registered against them. In early January, the Gateway of India was the site of a protest against the attack on JNU students by armed goons and also over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the NRC-NPR project. After a few days, the protesters called off their stir when they were shifted from the Gateway of India, a popular tourist attraction, to Azad Maidan, around three kilometres away. However, many of these protesters are facing cases for unlawful assembly. Clashes unfolded in northeast Delhi’s Jaffrabad on Sunday and spiralled in nearby areas, including Bhajanpura, Chandbagh, Yamuna Vihar and Maujpur where pro-and-anti-CAA protests turned violent on Monday, leading to the death of four people, including a head constable, injuries to 50 others, according to officials.