The Delhi Police sought permission from the state government to build a temporary jail in a stadium to detain people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the national Capital, NDTV reported on Thursday.

In a letter dated January 29, the police claimed that they have been informed by various agencies that “some protesters may deliberately adopt unconstitutional or violent ways” and disturb the law and order situation ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The letter was written by Additional Commissioner of Police, Rohini, SD Misra. “The protesters will court arrest from various part of Delhi and shall be taken to Jangli Ram Pahlwan Stadium in Nijamplur village, police station Kanjhawala in the area of Rohini district for detention,” he said.

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However, an unidentified police official told ANI that no such letter was written and that the “news is devoid of facts”. The police told NDTV that the letter was written when protestors had planned a human chain from Jamia Millia Islamia to Rajghat – which never happened – hence the letter is no longer valid. “During the last few days no letter has been written for a temporary jail,” a police statement claimed.

The letter has been reportedly forwarded to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s office for issuance of final notification.

Delhi has spearheaded the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Since December 15, hundreds of women have been peacefully protesting at Shaheen Bagh against the amended law and the National Register of Citizens. Police requests for them to clear the area have not borne fruit.

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The citizenship law has been widely criticised as discriminatory and Indian Muslims fear it could be used with the NRC to harass and disenfranchise them.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has repeatedly accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of engineering the protests and pandering to the protestors in Delhi ahead of the Assembly elections, which will be held on February 8.