Ambuj Tripathi
ambuj.tripathi@thelucknowjournal.com
Lucknow, 19 December : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed strong resentment over today’s violent demonstrations in the various districts of Uttar Pradesh including the capital city. He said that the administration will deal with the miscreants vigorously and the public property damaged during the protests will be recovered by confiscating the assets of the violent protesters.
Opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) in Uttar Pradesh turned violent on Thursday. In the capital city of Lucknow and Sambhal in the Western Uttar Pradesh, the protesters stirred voilently in which two police posts were set on fire in Lucknow and more than 20 vehicles were set ablaze. Several policemen, including the ADG and IG rank officers were injured in the stone pelting by the miscreants.
The state’s main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) had called for a protest at all district headquarters of the state today in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. This demonstration of SP took violent form in the state capital Lucknow and Sambhal. Two police posts were also burnt and vehicles parked outside were burnt during the disturbance in several areas of Lucknow. The OB vans of the media who arrived there for coverage were also set on fire. Crowds also pelted stones at Parivartan Chowk, Hazratganj, Madayganj, Khadra and Thakurganj. Many policemen, including Additional Director General of Police (ADG) SN Sabat, Inspector General of Police (IG) SK Bhagat and Jurisdictional (CO) Hazratganj Abhay Mishra, were injured in the stone pelting. Police had to lathi charge several places in the capital to control the miscreants. Tear gas shells were also fired. Police also arrested SP and Congress leaders during this period.
On the other hand, many buses were set on fire in Sambhal in western Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Police vehicles were damaged. Journalists were also targeted. Furious mob pelted stones at the Chaudhary Sarai Police Post in the city. SP’s national secretary and former cabinet minister Kamal Akhtar, who is going on a sit-in at district headquarters in Amroha, was arrested by the police. Internet service was stopped in Muzaffar Nagar.
In other districts including Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Sonbhadra, Ghazipur, Bhadohi and Chandauli in Purvanchal, SP workers also staged a sit-in. Due to the implementation of Section 144 in the entire state, the police arrested most of the protesters. In Gorakhpur, many SP leaders, including former minister Ram Bhuyal Nishad, were arrested.
As soon as SP workers took out a procession from the party office in Prayagraj for the protest, the police stopped them after a while. On this, SP workers sat on a dharna. Then the police arrested everyone. Apart from this, in other districts including Agra, Mathura, Meerut, Bareilly, the SP today protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act. In Firozabad, the police dispersed the SP workers with use of water cannon. Even after this, dozens of activists including former MP Akshay Yadav were arrested on the demand of demonstration.
