CAA protests: Death toll climbs to 18 in BJP-ruled state UP; Internet services restored in Aligarh

Aligarh, Dec 22: Violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act raged on across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday taking the death toll to 18 in the state, while large-scale vandalism and disruption of rail and road traffic were witnessed in Bihar during a bandh called by the RJD.

According to Police, at least 18 people, including an eight-year-old boy, lost their lives in the state. A total of 5,400 people have been taken under custody till now and around 705 have been sent to jail.

Meanwhile, internet services have been restored in Aligarh. Services were suspended from December 15 after violence broke out.

The Congress, Left and other opposition parties led demonstrations in many states including Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, demanding that the contentious law be scrapped. One person died and several people were injured in clashes between anti-CAA protesters, who pelted stones and indulged in arson, and police in Rampur in UP, officials said.

Protestors set ablaze Yatimkhana police post in Kanpur and indulged in heavy brickbatting, leading to injuries to many people including policemen, a senior official said.

Police used cane-charge and tear gas to chase them away. UP police said as many as 705 persons have been arrested and 4,500 were detained for the violence during the last two days. They said 260 security personnel were injured, of whom 57 suffered gunshot wounds.

A day after massive protests and clashes in the national capital, Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad was arrested when he came outside Jama Masjid, where he had taken part in a demonstration on Friday, and was later sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a court.

Police and paramilitary personnel carried out flag march in violence-hit areas, even as scores of people held peaceful demonstrations against the amended Citizenship Act at several places, including at India Gate, Jamia Millia Islamia, Rajghat, Uttar Pradesh Bhawan. Police said no untoward incident was reported.

Fifteen people arrested for Friday's violence in Daryaganj were remanded in judicial custody for two days, while 11 others were sent to jail for a fortnight in connection with the Seemapuri incident.

Amid a bandh call in Rampur against the CAA, around 400 to 500 protestors, including children in the age group of 12-18 years, gathered at some distance from the Eidgah in the city and stones were pelted at policemen, leading to clashes, officials said.

Samajwadi Party MLA Amitabh Bajpai was arrested as a precautionary measure and his vehicles seized in Kanpur, police said. After a lull of four days, the Aligarh Muslim University campus again witnessed protests with hundreds of non-teaching staff joining hands with teachers' association to oppose the CAA and police action against students.

The AMU has set up a one-man judicial panel to conduct an internal inquiry into violent incidents that took place on the campus on December 15 and 16. Police earlier said at least 15 people, including an eight-year-old boy, lost their lives in the state since Thursday in the state.

Over 260 policemen were also injured, of whom 57 received gunshot wounds, IG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar said.

Director General of Police O P Singh claimed women and children were used as "shields by the protestors". He maintained that police did not open fire and suggested the deaths were due to cross firing between protestors. "We are clear and transparent in this. If anyone died due to our fire we will conduct a judicial inquiry and take action. But nothing happened from our side," he said.

So far 218 people have been arrested in Lucknow, he said. Clashes with police were reported after Friday prayers from Bhadohi, Bahraich, Amroha, Farurukhabad, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Hapur, Hathras, Bulandshahr, Hamirpur and Mahoba districts and cases have been registered.