YouTuber Gunja Kapoor, disguised in burqa, removed from Shaheen Bagh for 'filming' protesters, 'asking too many questions'

Gunja Kapoor, a writer and YouTuber, was removed from Shaheen Bagh protest site and handed over to the Delhi Police for allegedly filming them on her mobile phone. Protesters at the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) demonstration turned suspicious of Kapoor, disguised in a burqa, after she repeatedly asked them questions, reports said.

Kapoor describes herself as a curator of the YouTube channel ‘Right Narrative’ on her official Twitter handle. She is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.

Shaheen Bagh has emerged as the epicentre of women-led protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, and has been criticised by both the Modi govt and its supporters.

The incident has come just days after a man fired multiple shots near the protest site at Shaheen Bagh.

Later on Wednesday, Kapoor tweeted, “I am safe and sound. Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and support. I am overwhelmed by it. Special thank you and gratitude to Delhi Police.”

I am safe & sound. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. I am overwhelmed by it. Special thank you & gratitude to @DelhiPolice

आप सबके सहयोग व प्रार्थनाओं की शक्ति से बहुत बल मिला। @DelhiPolice का विशेष आभार।

— Gunja (@GeeKayTalks) February 5, 2020

She was caught by some of the women protesters after they identified her as a YouTuber. The incident led to a commotion at Shaheen Bagh, a senior police official was quoted as saying by PTI. Kapoor was then taken to Sarita Vihar police station where her identity was ascertained. She was questioned and let off later. Some of the protesters alleged that Kapoor was recording videos on her mobile phone.

#WATCH Political analyst Gunja Kapoor extricated by police after protestors at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh alleged that she was wearing a 'burqa' and filming them. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/llRiKhMvOd

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2020

In a statement issued after the incident, Kapoor claimed that on 3 February, when she had gone for a TV news debate at Jamia Millia Islamia university, her team had been chased out of the area “in less than 20 minutes and people were not willing to talk to them".

Kapoor alleged that after a woman journalist of a new channel was recently “manhandled” at Shaheen Bagh, she decided to don a burqa so that “they (protestors) may be more comfortable in speaking” to her.

“But once my identity was revealed they manhandled me,” she added. Kapoor said she had gone to the site “for a story” for her YouTube channel.

With inputs from agencies