• By Talib Khan
  • Fri, 20 Dec 2019 06:22 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: One person was killed in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday as anti-citizenship law protesters clashed with police. Incidents of violence were reported on Friday, in several districts of Uttar Pradesh including Bulandshahar, Hapur, Gorakhpur, Kanpur and Firozabad during the protests against the controversial Citizenship Act.

The protesters also pelted stones at the policemen in Firozabad, where several vehicles were also torched by the protesters, while the police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the violent crowds in UP's Hapur.  

Protesters set on fire at least six vehicles, including those of policemen, in Firozabad, forcing police to use tear-gas shells to disperse them and control the situation. Some policemen were reportedly injured in the clash.

Meanwhile, firing has been reported from UP's Bulandshahar as the protests against the amended citizenship law turned violent after the protesters reportedly set ablaze a police vehicle and pelted stones on cops. Several protestors and policemen are reported to be injured.  

District Magistrate of Bulandshahr, Ravindra Kumar as quoted by ANI said, "Mobile internet services and broadband services to remain suspended in the district from 3 pm onwards today, until further notice".

In a nearly two-minute-long video of today's protests in Gorakhpur in the eastern part of the state, posted online by news agency ANI, a crowd of people can be seen standing at one end of a narrow but empty lane; police officers in riot gear are standing at the other.

In the video, protesters are throwing stones and shouting at the cops, at least some of whom are armed with what appear to be assault rifles. As the video plays out the cops, who do not initially react, start throwing stones at back at the protestors.

Large demonstrations were organised in Gorakhpur, the home district of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, after Friday prayers and protesters hurled stones at police in at least one place.

Police fired tear-gas shells in Khoonipur area to disperse them. In another area, police lathi-charged protesters. Tension prevailed in Ghantaghar, Shahmaroof, Nakhas, Khoonipur and Ismailpur areas as people came out of mosques in large numbers and demonstrated on streets.

In Aligarh, where a red alert had been sounded by the administration in view of continued protests, Friday prayers passed off peacefully, said SSP Akash Kulhari.

The amended law allows citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis who entered India before 2015 after facing religious persecution in three neighbouring countries. The list excludes Muslims.

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