Home Minister to chair high-level security meet amid violent CAA protests; Cong huddles

Amid rampant violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act, Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday is set to chair a high-level meeting to review security situation, according to sources. Sources report that NSA Ajit Doval, MoS for Home G Kishan Reddy and Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla are expected to attend the meeting. Moreover, the Home Secretary has already contacted the UP DGP to reportedly collect information on the spat of violence in Lucknow.

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Congress core group meet

Meanwhile, the Congress core group is currently attending a meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence on the current situation in Delhi, as per sources. Senior Congress leaders Ahmad Patel, RPN Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Deepender Hooda, Anand Sharma, Ghulami Nabi Azad are allegedly present at the meeting. Congress has been scheduling several protests in New Delhi since the passage of the act.

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Lucknow protests turn violent

Earlier in the day, Lucknow police used  tear gas and batons on anti-CAA protestors when vehicles parked outside a police post were set ablaze and stone-pelting occurred, according to PTI. About 20 people have been taken into custody, said police officials. Clashes have also been reported from Hussainabad, Daliganj and Teele Wali Masjid and the Chhota Imambara. A state transport bus too was set ablaze in Sambhal while a media OB van was set ablaze in Hazratganj.

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Anti-CAA protests

The protests against CAA which began in Assam has now spread throughout the country. Violent protests have been witnessed in Assam where 4 people have died, West Bengal where numerous public property damaged and internet snapped in places, Delhi where buses were burnt and Jamia  Millia students were attacked by Delhi police and currently experiencing internet shut down in several places. Hundreds have been detained in all these states. 

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Protests have also spread to Karnataka, Gujarat, UP, Bihar, Chennai, Mumbai, Bhopal, Jammu, Kerala. Major breakdown of law and order has been witnessed in these places, where police have resorted to lathi-charge, imposed section 144 in select areas and detaining hundreds of protestors. The protest is against the amended Citizenship Act which amends the Citizenship Act 1955 to make refugees who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.