Interlocutors to meet Shaheen Bagh protesters again today

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The Supreme Court appointed mediation panel will again meet the anti-CAA protesters on Thursday at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh in an effort to hear and understand their views. The protesters have been holding a sit-in protest at a public road in the area for over 60 days now.

Senior lawyers Sanjay Hegde and Sadhna Ramachandran had met the protesters on Wednesday also. After the meeting, Hegde told  that they will be meeting the protesters again at 3 p.m. on Thursday. "We will come at 3 o'clock tomorrow (Feb 20) and will listen to all the presenters," he said. In response to a question that he will only listen and not say anything, Hegde said, "Let's see what to do".

During the first meeting, the protesters raised their voices openly in front of the interlocutors regarding their right to protest and what they fear about the CAA-NRC, and also lambasted the government. While hearing the protesters, Hegde did say that he was impressed by the views. Even Ramachandran also said that "if you have daughters like you in India, then the country can never be threatened."

After the Supreme Court's order, a panel was formed to talk to the Shaheen Bagh protesters, in which senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, lawyer Sadhana Ramachandran and former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah were appointed as negotiators so that the road on which the protest is going on would be opened as soon as possible.

A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph, citing replication of protests involving blocking of public roads, said: "We are concerned, what will happen if people start hitting the streets and blocking the roads while protesting... it is a concern."

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