19 arrested in UP for violence during anti-CAA protest

As many as 19 people have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Mau in connection with Monday night's violence, which erupted over police action in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, officials said.

Protesters on Monday had vandalised a police station and torched vehicles as a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and police action at Jamia Millia Islamia turned violent in Mau, prompting police to lob teargas shells and fire in the air.

"In connection with Monday's violence in Dakshintola area of Mau, as many as 24 persons have been identified so far. Of this 19 have been arrested.

"The mischief mongers are being identified through video footage and photos published in various newspapers," Additional Director General (Prosecution) Ashutosh Pandey told reporters on Tuesday.

Pandey added, "Internet has been suspended in the district till further orders. RAF and PAC has been deployed. Police force has been brought from nearby districts of Ballia, Ghazipur and Azamgarh. The situation is normal now."

UP Director General of Police O P Singh said, "Curfew has not been imposed in Mau, but the situation is being strictly monitored.

"An ADG-rank officer has been sent to the district from Lucknow. Internet services in the district have been shut until further orders. The situation is completely normal now."

Meanwhile, all schools, colleges and madrasas have been shut in view of the violence.

The videos of the violence, which have gone viral on social media, shows the computer room of Mau's Dakshintola police station being vandalised with chairs and some computers damaged.

A portion of the boundary wall of the police station was also damaged, and firemen could be seen extinguishing the blaze, which had erupted at one corner of the police station.

Dakshintola police station Station House Officer Nihar Nandan Kumar had on Monday told PTI, "Over 300 people barged into the police station premises between 5-6 pm. They were agitating and had broken the boundary wall. There have been some minor damages."

An eyewitness had said protesters set ablaze 15 vehicles, including those of the police.

However, the police had given out a much smaller number with Inspector General (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar saying "Three or four motorcycles were set ablaze."

Singh had on Monday denied reports that a curfew has been imposed in Mau.

"Only Section 144 of CrPC is in place, and this should not be considered imposition of curfew in the district. The situation is absolutely peaceful there and one or two motorcycles were burnt," he had said.

Mau District Magistrate Gyanprakash Tripathi had on Monday told reporters that some youths from Mirza Hadipur area had planned to submit a memorandum to protest the police action at Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University.

"Subsequently, crowd swelled up in the locality. Police reached the spot and tried to remove the protestors. This angered the crowd, and they resorted to stone-pelting in the vicinity of Dakshintola police station and set a few vehicles ablaze. No one has been injured," he said.

Tripathi had also said that motorcycles of a few journalists and policemen were set ablaze by the protesters.

"Police resorted to mild use of force, and controlled the situation. Guilty persons are being identified through CCTV footage, and they will be booked," he said.

Keep close watch on those spreading rumours about CAA: Adityanath

The Uttar Pradesh government has directed police and administrative officials to keep a close watch on those spreading rumours about the amended Citizenship Act, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Protests broke out against the amended act with a mob setting vehicles ablaze in Mau district and students hurling stones at police personnel outside an Islamic seminary in the state capital on Monday.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a meeting on Monday night said 'those who are indulging in arson, are not students, but are 'upadravis' (unruly elements)', according to the spokesperson .

He said Adityanath has directed strict action against those who take the law into their own hands.

"In a video conference yesterday night, the chief minister spoke to all ADGs, IGs, DIGs, SSPs commissioners and district magistrates and said a close watch has to be maintained over those elements who are spreading rumours about the Citizenship Amendment Act," he said.

The chief minister has also asked officials top speak to priests and clerics, he said.

DGP OP Singh said the situation is normal in Aligarh, Mau and Lucknow.

"Internet services in Aligarh, Meerut and Saharanpur are already suspended," he said.