113 Detained in UP as Anti-CAA Protests Continue, DGP Says Anti-social Elements Entered Institutions

Lucknow: Scattered protests were held in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday against the amended citizenship law and police action in Jamia Millia Islamia with no report of any violence in the state, even as police have detained 113 people for allegedly trying to vitiate atmosphere with their posts on social media.

The issue rocked the state legislature as a united opposition held protests on the opening day of the winter session. They walked out after expressing dissatisfaction over Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna's response over the violence in the state including in Aligarh Muslim University and Lucknow.

State Director General of Police O P Singh said that the situation was "normal and peaceful" in Uttar Pradesh and blamed "anti social" elements for brickbatting and violent protests in some institutions.

"I wanted to say that anti-social elements have made entry in educational institutions and they indulged in brick batting. Otherwise, no one can explain why there were stones in educational institutions considered as 'Vidya ka mandir' (temple of learning)," the DGP told reporters.

"It means anti-social elements have made entry there and indulged in such activities," he added.

He said the situation in all the districts including Mau, where protesters had barged into a police station and vandalised it, is peaceful.

"19 persons have been arrested in Mau. Prohibitory orders are in place in all districts of the state. Internet services are suspended in Aligarh, Meerut, Saharanpur and Mau and forwarded messages are being monitored by the social media cell," he said.

Tension gripped some localities adjoining the Aligarh Muslim University campus on Tuesday as people started gathering at crossings and raised slogans against amended Citizenship Act.

But there was marked improvement from the situation on Sunday when clashes broke out between AMU students and the police.

Twenty-six people arrested after the violence were released late Monday night. Out of those arrested only eight were students of AMU, while the rest were outsiders, SSP Akash Kulhari told PTI.

On Tuesday, shopkeepers in Jamalpur and Dodhpur downed shutters.

"We managed to persuade the protesters with the help of local community leaders and announcements from mosques that their concerns would be conveyed to the government and that their interests would not be served by taking law in their hands," Superintendent of Police, City, Abhishek told PTI.

Protests were also held in the highly-sensitive Upper Court area in the old city.

The process of evacuation of hostels at the varsity continued Monday overnight, and according to latest figures provided by the AMU administration, about 9,500 out of 11,500 inmates have left for home, university officials said.

The protest was called off on Monday night after the Shahr Mufti Abdul Hameed had addressed the crowd and assured them that their demands regarding release of arrested AMU students will be addressed by local police.

The DGP said, "The university administration gave in writing to the police and sought its help to maintain peace. That's why we (police) entered there."

The state police was keeping an eye on social media to prevent any flare up.

"State police has lodged 18 FIR against and detained 113 persons, including 28 in Mau, (from Monday) for trying to vitiate atmosphere by their posts through different mediums of social media", an official statement issued here said

In the state capital, police thwarted attempts by students to hold protest over CAA outside Shia PG College premises over the amended citizenship act.

The students have been sent back to the college premises, police said

College vice-principal Sarwat Taqi said, "The situation in the college is absolutely normal and the annual sports programme is being held."

Four FIRs have been lodged in Lucknow in connection with Monday's protests at Islamic seminary Nadwatul Ulama and Integarl university, police said.

Two FIRs each were registered against unidentified persons in Hasanganj police station and the Gudamba police station of the state capital under various sections of the IPC and Criminal Law Amendment Act (CLA).

Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC was mentioned in the FIR at Hasanganj.

In the state Assembly, Samajwadi Party and Congress members, carrying placards and shouting slogans, trooped into the Well of the House even as the BSP MLAs lent them support from their seats.

Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary, who had given a notice for raising the protest against the CAA, pressed Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit to allow the matter immediately.

The Speaker, however, kept urging members to remove the placards and adjourned the House when they did not relent

Donning red caps, the SP members squatted on the floor even during the period when the House remained adjourned.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Legislative Council where angry opposition members protested vociferously leading to the adjournment.

When the Assembly reassembled, Chaudhary raised the issue of student protests in different parts of the state against the CAA and urged that the House pass a resolution urging the central government to withdraw the Act.

"It is after 30 years that students have come out on the streets in protest and whenever they have done so it has had a far reaching impact," Chaudhary said, recalling similar incidents in the past and said the CAA was against the soul of the Constitution.

There was a brief exchange of words between opposition members and Treasury benches, with the Speaker insisting that the issues in the Central list cannot be raised in the House.

Later, SP, BSP and Congress members staged a walkout. Protests were also held at several places in Gorakhpur on Tuesday.

While Imambara Mutavallian committee gave a memorandum at the district magistrate against the amedned Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens, Congress staged a sit-in in front of Mahatma Gandhi statute int the town hall area.

Samajwadi Party Chatrasabha members also protested at DDU Gorakhpur University gate.

District Congress chief Nirmala Paswan said that the crackdown of police in university campus is "intolerable and all these unrest is planned to cover up the failiure of government on issues like unemployment, poverty, low level of GDP, law and order and women safety."

"It is not a issue of Hindu-Muslim but of saving the democratic structure of country," the president of Gorakhpur Samajwadi Chatrasabha, Gavish Dubey, said.

The DGP asked the police to remain vigilant and enhance patrolling. He called for coordination with principals of school, colleges and madrassas and appealed to them to assist the police in maintaining peace in the state. PTI ABN CORR/NAV

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