Security forces on high alert across states over anti-CAA protests.

Source – orissapost.com

New Delhi: Security forces were on high alert Friday in various parts of the country including in Kerala and Karanataka where protesters disrupted road and rail traffic after Thursday night’s death of two persons in police firing during protests against the amended citizenship law. Mobile internet and SMS services were also shut down in UP which had seen violent clashes in the last two days.

After a day of simultaneous anti-CAA protests in multiple cities, various groups have announced plans to continue their agitation including in the national capital while officials said additional security arrangements have been made in view of the Friday prayers.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in 12 police station areas of Northeast Delhi and police also carried out a flag march in the district which had witnessed violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar and Deputy Commissioner of Police Ved Prakash Surya were among senior officers who were present during the flag march.

In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, mobile internet and SMS services of all telecom operators remained suspended in Lucknow and various other places on orders from the government. A 25-year-old man was killed during violence in Lucknow, while protesters pelted stones at police and torched vehicles.

In Kerala also, police has also been directed to maintain high vigil in northern districts in the wake of the killing of two persons in police firing in Mangalore in neighbouring Karnataka during protests against CAA.

In a Thursday night alert, Kerala DGP D Loknath Behera instructed the force to be on high alert especially in the districts of Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Kannur, an official statement said.

A series of protest marches by different outfits and blocking of trains and buses were reported in various parts of Kerala past midnight after the news emerged about the deaths.

Anti-CAA protesters also blocked Karnataka RTC buses in some parts of Kozhikode and raised slogans against the Mangalore police action.

A large number of Congress workers blocked roads and burnt tyres in Kozhikode, while other activists blocked roads and burnt the effigy of Home Minister Amit Shah.

However, mobile internet service resumed in Assam, 10 days after it was banned during protests against the new law. The Gauhati High Court had directed the Assam government to restore mobile internet service by 5.00pm Thursday.

In the national capital, Delhi Police denied permission to Bhim Army to take out a protest march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar against the new law.

In Aligarh, a red alert was sounded and the city has been put under a heavy security cover in view of the first Friday prayers since the police crackdown on the students of Aligarh Muslim University protesting the new law earlier this week. Internet services remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day while banking services and businesses have been badly hit.

The situation in West Bengal remained largely peaceful Friday with no fresh incident of violence, but vigil has been stepped up by the police in several parts of the state to prevent any untoward incident during religious gathering for Friday prayers.

Meanwhile in Ahmedabad a Congress corporator and 48 others were arrested Friday for attack on police personnel during a protest in the city against the new citizenship law and the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC), officials said.

The demonstrations in Shah-e-Alam area of the city Thursday turned violent forcing the police to lob teargas shells to disperse around 5,000 protestors.

Twenty-six police personnel were injured after a mob resorted to stone pelting during the protest. Congress corporator Shehzad Khan Pathan had provoked the mob, the police claimed.

“We have registered an FIR against 5,000 people. While 50 were named in the case, 49, including Congress corporator Shehzad Khan Pathan, were arrested n Friday. They have been booked for attempt to murder, rioting and assaulting police,” said a top police official who suffered injuries on his head, said.