Violence rock UP cities; rally in Delhi

New Delhi: Violent clashes with police rocked Uttar Pradesh from Gorakhpur to Bulandshahr on Friday while thousands rallied in the national capital with tricolour and ‘Save Constitution’ banners as protests raged across states against the amended citizenship law and the proposed NRC, prompting the government to indicate it was ready to accept suggestions.
Sporadic violence was reported from parts of Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka-Kerala border areas as well, while authorities resorted to curbs on mobile internet and SMS services in various regions, including in parts of UP, Karnataka and the national capital.
Some groups, however, offered roses to the police to underline peaceful nature of their protest.
Additional security forces were deployed in all sensitive areas, including those where large-scale protests took place on Thursday that also saw at least three deaths including of two persons in police firing in Mangaluru. One person had died in Lucknow.
The raging protests also saw some allies of the ruling BJP voicing their concerns. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar asserted the National Register for Citizens will not be implemented in his state, while another BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party’s president Chirag Paswan said the protests show the central government has “failed” to dispel confusion among a significant section of society.
Holding a protest march in Maharashtra, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) alleged the Narendra Modi government wants to ensure only Hindus remain in India with its twin move of the new Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed countrywide National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Congress accused the Modi government of being responsible for widespread protests in the country and demanded the contentious citizenship law be repealed.
Chief ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have announced the CAA was “unconstitutional” and has no place in their respective states.
The national capital remained heavily barricaded but prohibitory orders and closure of several metro stations could not stop thousands from rallying near Jama Masjid area, soon after Friday afternoon prayers.
As the day drew to a close, the protesters gathered at India Gate and Central Park, while carrying tricolour and ‘Save Constitution’ banners and also raising slogans against what they called attempts to divide the country on religious lines.
Bhim Army chief escapes from police
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad led one of the largest protests, despite being denied permission to hold a march.
Giving the police a slip from being detained, he raised slogans and read out the preamble of Indian Constitution. The police was seen using drones to keep a vigil, while Delhi Metro gates were closed at some stations, including in the Old Delhi areas.
Police also carried out a flag march in the north-east district which had witnessed violence on Sunday during continuing protests against the amended law, which seeks to grant speedier citizenship only to non-Muslims facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Delhi Mahila Congress chief and former president Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha and some other members of the outfit were detained near Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence during a protest against the new legislation.
Near Jamia Millia Islamia, which had seen massive police crackdown on students on Sunday, hundreds of people were seen wearing white caps with “No CAA No NRC” written on them.
However, it was Uttar Pradesh that saw violent clashes breaking out at multiple places, including Gorakhpur, Sambhal, Bhadohi, Bahraich, Farrukhabad, Bulandshahr and Firozabad, soon after Friday prayers as protesters hurled stones, torched vehicles and faced police action.
Internet shutdown
Internet services remained suspended in about a dozen districts, including Aligarh, Mau, Azamgarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Sambhal and Allahabad. In Gujarat, a mob pelted stones at the police outside a mosque in communally sensitive Hathikhana area of Vadodara city, objecting to video-shooting of namaz congregation, which the officials said was being done as a preventive measure in the wake of anti-CAA protests.
Three persons were arrested while a senior official was injured in stone-pelting, the police said.
In Maharastra, mobs pelted stones at state transport buses in Beed, Nanded and Parbhani districts. In Kerala, police kept high vigil in northern districts in the wake of the killing of two persons in Mangaluru in neighbouring Karnataka.
Anti-CAA protesters also blocked Karnataka state transport buses in Kozhikode and raised slogans against the Mangaluru police action. The Kerala Road Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to Mangaluru.
Some mediapersons were detained for entering the Government Wenlock hospital where the post-mortem of those killed in the police firing was underway. The journalists, who were from Kerala, were released later in the day. (PTI)