The drama by the crowd congregated at Shaheen Bagh to oppose to Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC never stops. Late last night, news emerged that Shaheen Bagh protestors were to hold a press conference after different political parties had referred to the protests during the campaign trail for Delhi elections.
By 9:30 PM, the news of the press conference was all over the media.
Saahil Murli Menghani, a journalist who has been covering Shaheen Bagh protests extensively, tweeted that Shaheen Bagh had called for an urgent press conference at 11 PM on Thursday.
#BREAKING#ShaheenBagh calls for an urgent press conference at 11 pm tonight.
— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) January 30, 2020
Saahil had also tweeted that the press conference was likely about the road which has not been blocked by Shaheen Bagh protestors but barricaded by the police itself.
Several media houses too reported that Shaheen Bagh was all set to deliver a press conference. Speculations were that the press conference could be about the politicians talking about the protest, the incident at Jamia earlier where a youth had fired a shot towards the Jamia anti-CAA protestors or more.
However, the drama was only beginning.
Soon, Saahil tweeted that there was no press conference at Shaheen Bagh and that the protestors claimed that this was planted fake news. However, evidently, there was a tussle between two groups of the protestors with one wanting to hold the press conference and the other opposing the move.
More drama at #ShaheenBagh.
One section of protesters want to go ahead with the press conference.
One section opposing the move.
Will keep updating
— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) January 30, 2020
Evidently, the fight at Shaheen Bagh was about opening one side of the road that the protestors were not using.
#ShaheenBaghProtests UPDATE.
More drama.
The section opposing the press conference ASKS MEDIA TO NOT RECORD and shut the cameras.
Will keep updating.
— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) January 30, 2020
One section of the protestors at Shaheen Bagh wanted to open the road not being used by the protestors, however, one section of the protestors believed that if they open that side of the road, they would leave themselves open to an attack.
Interestingly, while the media was present at Shaheen Bagh, they were asked to shut their cameras and not record.
Then, the media was asked to leave and apparently, “recording was not allowed”. The road was to remain shut and there was no press conference after all.
FINAL #ShaheenBaghProtests update.
PRESS CONFERENCE will NOT HAPPEN, as broken by me at 10:10 pm.
Protests to continue. Road to remain closed. Protesters divided in 2 factions.
Will keep updating.
— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) January 30, 2020
It is interesting to note that the media seems to comply rather willingly and submit to the demands of Shaheen Bagh protestors when they ask them to ‘not record’ what is happening at a very public protest.
There were some updates that suggested that the two groups of Shaheen Bagh had even got into a tussle.
आपस मे मारपीट से शाहीनबाग़ अपना stand अब खो चुका है।
जीती हुई बाजी हारने वाले लोग है यह।— Anil Tiwari (@Interceptors) January 30, 2020
It was reported that the two groups at Shaheen Bagh were allegedly throwing slippers at each other while on stage. OpIndia at this point could not verify these claims independently.
While the Shaheen Bagh protests have long been touted as an organic protest by women, the sequence of events points to anything but that. After Sharjeel Imam, the mastermind of Shaheen Bagh was arrested for his seditious speeches, Shaheen Bagh tried to distance themselves from Imam saying that the protests had no organising committee. However, everything that has happened so far, from tweeting these updates by their official Twitter account to these factions fighting about talking to the media and beyond, it points to a well-oiled protest that is being organised and funded externally.
