Uttar Pradesh: 218 arrested from Lucknow over anti-CAA protest

Uttar Pradesh Director-General of Police (DGP) OP Singh on Saturday said that 218 people have been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted in Lucknow during Anti-CAA protests. While the total number of arrests made in the state was unclear, 218 people were arrested due to protests in the city, the officer said. Investigations are underway to identify possible involvement of NGOs and people associated with political parties in the protests, he added.

"Outsiders were involved in the violence as per the preliminary investigations, we are investigating all angles to find out the involvement of NGOs or political persons in this," Singh said. 

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The DGP added that precautionary measures have been taken to avoid incidents of violence in the future and said that the guilty will suffer strict punishment for engaging in violence.

"We will assure strict punishment for the guilty and on the same hand ensure that no innocent is arrested by the police," Singh said.

"We have kept our police management attentive and intensified the police patrolling. We are in touch with all distinguished persons of the city personally or collectively and have appealed to them to help in maintaining peace," he added.

READ | Anti-CAA stir: Death toll in UP violence rises to 11

CM Adityanath appeals to people

Amid increasing protests, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had appealed to people to maintain peace and do not pay heed to any rumours. "No one should take the law into their hands," Adityanath had said in a statement. The CM also directed police to arrest those who are misleading people regarding CAA and spreading rumours and causing violence.

On Friday, clashes took place between police and protestors in different areas of Uttar Pradesh, namely --Bahraich, Bareilly, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Gorakhpur, Sambhal, etc. Prohibitory orders under IPC Section-144 was imposed in various parts of the state to maintain law and order situation.

READ | Lucknow: Clashes Erupt Between Police And Protesters In Lucknow Over CAA

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians who faced religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

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(With inputs from ANI)