UP: At least 6 dead as violence rocks during Anti-CAA protests

At least six persons died as violent clashes with police rocked Uttar Pradesh on Friday while thousands rallied in national capital and several or cities with tricolour and 'Save Constitution' banners as part of raging protests across states against amended citizenship law and proposed NRC, prompting government to indicate it was ready to accept suggestions.

A car was set on fire in Delhi's Daryaganj area and protesters hurled stones at security personnel near Delhi Gate, while police used water canns and lathi-charged a large group of protesters to disperse crowd. Sporadic violence was reported from or 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 national capital. Some groups, however, offered roses to police to underline peaceful nature of ir protest. Heavy security was deployed in all sensitive areas, including those where large-scale protests took place on Thursday that saw at least three deaths including of two persons in police firing in Mangaluru. One person had died in Luckw.

Six killed during protests

Taking nationwide toll to at least nine in two days, six persons were killed during protests at various places in Uttar Pradesh, where police retaliated with tear gas shells and rubber bullets after protests turned violent. Director-General of Police O P Singh told PTI that two people lost ir lives in Bijr and one each in Meerut, Sambhal and Firozabad. But officials reported death in Kanpur as well. He said over 50 policemen were seriously injured.

Opposition raises concerns

raging protests also saw some allies of ruling BJP voicing ir concerns. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar asserted NRC will t be implemented in his state, while ar BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party's president Chirag Paswan said protests show central government has "failed" to dispel confusion among a significant section of society. Holding a protest march in Maharashtra, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) alleged Narendra Modi government wants to ensure only Hindus remain in India with its twin move of new Citizenship (Amendment) Act and proposed countrywide National Register of Citizens (NRC). Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said Modi government has shown utter disregard for people's voices and used brute force to suppress dissent. She said CAA was discriminatory and proposed NRC will particularly hurt poor and vulnerable. A top official, however, said government is ready to accept suggestions, if any, from people who are staging protests and asserted that various efforts were being made to clear doubts of people about new law.

Read: WATCH: Silent on arson; Sonia Gandhi fear mongers over CAA, calls it ‘discriminatory’

Anti-CAA protests in Delhi

national capital remained heavily barricaded but prohibitory orders and closure of several metro stations could t stop thousands from rallying near Jama Masjid area, soon after Friday afteron prayers. As day drew to a close, protesters gared at India Gate and Central Park, while carrying tricolour and 'Save Constitution' banners and also raising slogans against what y called attempts to divide country on religious lines. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined protesters at India Gate. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad led one of largest protests, despite being denied permission to hold a march. Giving police slip, he raised slogans and read out preamble of Indian Constitution. Later in evening, he sat on a protest near Jama Masjid.

police were seen using drones to keep a vigil, while Delhi Metro gates were closed at some stations, including in Old Delhi areas. Police also carried out a flag march in rth-east district which had witnessed violence on Sunday during continuing protests against amended law, which seeks to grant speedier citizenship only to n-Muslims facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Delhi Mahila Congress chief and former president Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha and some or members of party were detained near Home Minister Amit Shah's residence during a protest against 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 " CAA NRC" written on m. However, it was Uttar Pradesh that saw violent clashes breaking out at multiple places, including in Gorakhpur, Sambhal, Bhadohi, Bahraich, Farrukhabad, Bulandshahr and Firozabad, soon after Friday prayers as protesters hurled stones, torched vehicles and faced police action. Internet services remained suspended in about a dozen districts, including Aligarh, Mau, Azamgarh, Luckw, Kanpur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Sambhal and Allahabad.

Read: Mahila Congress workers protest outside Amit Shah's residence against CAA

Nationwide protests against CAA

In Gujarat, a mob pelted stones at police outside a mosque in communally sensitive Hathikhana area of Vadodara city, objecting to video-shooting of namaz congregation, which officials said was being done as a preventive measure in wake of anti-CAA protests. Three persons were arrested while a senior official was injured in stone-pelting, police said. In Maharastra, mobs pelted stones at state transport buses in Beed, Nanded and Parbhani districts, while over 10,000 took part in a protest march in Pune. In Kerala, police kept high vigil in rrn districts in wake of killing of two persons in Mangaluru in neighbouring Karnataka. A series of protest marches and blocking of trains and buses took place in various parts of Kerala past midnight after  news emerged about deaths.

Read: Nitish Kumar: 'NRC will t be implemented in Bihar'

Anti-CAA protesters also blocked Karnataka state transport buses in Kozhikode and raised slogans against Mangaluru police action. Kerala Road Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to Mangaluru. A large number of Congress workers blocked roads and burnt tyres in Kozhikode, while a group of activists also burnt an effigy of Home Minister Amit Shah. Karnataka police, on or hand, restricted entry to Mangaluru for those coming from Kerala. At least 50 men and women who had arrived by a train from Kerala were taken into custody for trying to enter city without identity cards. Some media persons were detained for entering Government Wenlock hospital where post-mortem of those killed in police firing was underway. journalists, who were from Kerala, were released later in day. Police sources said protesters defying prohibitory orders attempted to lay siege to a police station in Mangaluru and tried to attack police personnel, following which force was used to disperse m.

BSY appeals to people

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa appealed to people to stay away from 'vested interests' indulging in rumour-mongering and assured his government's commitment to protecting rights of all citizens. However, mobile internet service resumed in Assam on court orders, ten days after it was banned during protests against new law. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sowal said he will talk to leaders of anti- citizenship law agitation and his government were committed to safeguard rights and hour of state's indigeus population.

Read: UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma assures stringent measures over Anti-CAA protest