Anti-CAA stir in Delhi LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi's India Gate protest, Sonia Gandhi dares Amit Shah to visit Northeast

Protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have spread across the country, with several students and activists detained, and university campuses flaring up with demonstrations.

The chief proctor of Jamia Millia Islamia accused the Delhi police of forcefully entering the university campus, beating up and detaining around 100 students on Sunday, December 15. All the detained students were released around 3.30 am on Monday.  

Students at the Aligarh Muslim University also clashed with the police after their solidarity march was stopped. Following this, Hyderabad's Maulana Azad Urdu University and the Banaras Hindu University also raised their voices.

Agitating against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a mob set afire a police post and targeted some vehicles at Kargil Chowk in Patna, Bihar, on Sunday. According to Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi, the protesters were moving towards the Kargil Chowk from Ashok Rajpath when they were intercepted by the police.

West Bengal, too, witnessed violence as two trains were vandalised, and railway stations, track, property and RPF vehicles were set on fire after Trinamool Congress and Congress members joined the protests. The vehicular movement was obstructed, prompting the state government to shut down internet services in some parts of West Bengal on Sunday.

Here are the Live updates of today's developments:

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is leading the protest at India Gate, along with hundreds of Congress workers in solidarity with the protesting students against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Along with Priyanka, Congress leader Ahmed Patel, General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and A.K. Antony are also at the sit-in protest. Many women wing members including Sushmita Dev are also at the protest site.

Priyanka termed "barbaric" the police action in Jamia campus on Sunday evening, saying that the government has attacked Constitution by enacting such a law. She said she will fight against the government to save the Constitution.

The Congress leaders will be sitting for the next two hours at the iconic India Gate to protest against the police crackdown on students.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Monday, December 16, that the government has attacked the students by entering the university. "We will fight for the constitution, we will fight against this government," she said. 

Replying to Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia's statement that Delhi police entered the campus without permission, MS Randhawa said: "When we started pushing rowdy elements, they went inside. Police also chased them, stones were being pelted at us. We are doing a detailed investigation."

The Delhi police PRO said on Monday, December 16, that two Station House Officer (SHO) suffered fractures and one police personnel is admitted in the ICU after yesterday's clash. "FIRs have been registered for rioting and arsoning. Crime Branch will investigate the matter from all angles," said MS Randhawa.

"Yesterday around 2 pm protest happened, locals also participated, our staff showed maximum restraint despite provocations. Around 4:30 pm some protesters went towards Mata Mandir marg and set a bus on fire," said Delhi Police PRO, MS Randhawa, addressing the media. 

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday, December 16, hit the streets to lead a huge protest rally against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC.

She administered a pledge to people not to allow any National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise and implementation of the new citizenship law (CAA) in the state.

Read the full article here.

Amid Citizenship violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter on Monday, December 16, to express concern over the violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act across the country. "Debate, discussion and dissent are essential parts of democracy but, never has damage to public property and disturbance of normal life been a part of our ethos," tweeted PM Modi.

Read the full story here.

"Lot of rumours are being floated on social media. We can't confirm or deny all of them," AP Siddiqui, Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia, on reports that Police entered the mosque at the campus and also sexually assaulted girl students.

"I appeal to Jamia students, that the image of University gets affected when anti-social elements join their protests. Protests should be peaceful and disciplined," said DCP South East Delhi Chinmoy Biswal.

"This (Police burnt buses) is an absolute lie. When the mob was setting fire to properties, police tried to douse the fire by asking for water from residents. As far as the particular bus is concerned, Police saved it by using water from a bottle," he added. 

Many students at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) staged marches late on Sunday and again on Monday to express solidarity with their counterparts at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University and Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh Muslim University, where large scale violence took place last evening.

"We are not going to support this. Everyone is opposing it. It'll violate Assam Accord & make indigenous people of Assam, a minority here. AGP opposes it. We will go to Supreme Court," said Former Assam CM and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader, Prafulla Kr Mahanta, about the Citizenship Amendment Act. 

Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) students protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and in support of Jamia students.

The students of Nadwa College came out in support of Jamia Milia and raised slogans. 

According to the police, the situation is normalising and the students are returning to their classes. "There was stone pelting for about 30 seconds when around 150 people had come out to protest and raise slogans. Situation is normal now. Students are going back to their classrooms," said Superintendent of Police Lucknow, Kalanidhi Naithani.

Protests break out in Lucknow's Nadwa College against CAA. 

At LDF-UDF joint protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: "The present atmosphere has been created by BJP-RSS. They are trying to implement their agenda. The situation in the country is volatile. Kerala is standing together against the CAA."

Senior advocate Indira Jaising mentioned Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University incidents before a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde. Jaising asked SC to take suo motu cognizance of the issue saying "It's a very serious human rights violation all over the country."

The SC has agreed to hear the matter on Tuesday. 

CJI SA Bobde said: "Just because they happen to be students, it doesn't mean they can take law and order in their hands, this has to be decided when things cool down. This is not the frame of mind when we can decide anything. Let the rioting stop."

A case has been filed against the Delhi Police for its action at the Jamia Milia Islamia University, at the National Human Rights Commission.

Complainant Saurabh Das has alleged that "on the night of December 15, the Delhi Police under the command of Deputy Commissioner of Police-South East" had "brutally assaulted" students of the varsity.

The complaint further alleges vandalisation of the building by the cops, restriction from allowing lawyers to meet students and even detention of a minor.

In a statement, the complainant alleged that the Delhi Police personnel "harassed female students by forcing them to remove their hijab".

Internet services, which were to remain suspended until Monday morning, have been extended for another 24 hours in 10 districts (Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup) of Assam.

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act were held in Bengaluru on Sunday, December 15.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala at a joint protest against Citizenship Amendment Act in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.

Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) students' union writes to the controller of examination of the university, stating 'due to protests by MANUU students against police's attack on Jamia&AMU students, MANUU students are boycotting exams, request you to postpone the same'.

The government has filed a complaint against hundreds of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) workers for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act in near the mound and clock tower of Old Lucknow. The workers have been accused of raising anti-national slogans.

Due to agitation at different places in Katihar Division of Northeast Frontier Railway, 12042 Down New Jalpaiguri- Howrah Shatabdi Express & 12041 Up Howrah - New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express will remain cancelled today: Chief Public Relation Officer Eastern Railway.