Several people including Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav and activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan were stopped by the police when they were marching towards the Rajghat to mark the Martyr's Day, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, on Thursday.
Protestors from different location were going to the Rajghat where they planned to form a human chain to register their protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Students of Jamia Millia Islamia University were also stopped by the police.
"Prashant Bhushan, myself and about 50 protesters have been detained from Delhi Gate. We were just standing with national flag and singing the national anthem.
"Police confirmed: no 144 in force, served us no order. Yet dragged and pushed into bus. Being taken to unknown destination," Yadav tweeted in the evening.
Those who still managed to reach Rajghat formed a human chain and observed a one-minute silence at 5.17 pm, the time when Mahatma Gandhi was shod dead.
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Holding a banner, that read "No NRC, No CAA and No NPR", they paid tribute to Gandhiji and sang national anthem.
CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat, who also participated in the human chain along with Sitaram Yechruy, slammed the Delhi Police for failing to file an FIR against Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for their alleged incendiary remarks, and also "not taking" action in the Jamia incident.
"Anurag Thakur's call for 'Goli Maro' was implemented by his supporters who came to shoot at Jamia students and when we have come here to pay tribute to the father of the nation, we have been prevented," she said.
She added that hundreds of people who came to support could not reach since three metro stations in the vicinity were closed.