The police fired tear gas shells on protesters. (Photo Credit: Screengrab)
New Delhi :
Clashes broke out between police and anti-CAA protesters in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district after they were denied permission to erect tents. The police lathicharged and fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, who also resorted to stonepleting and set fire to public property. Speaking to reporters, Aligarh District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said that the situation was brought under control. He also said that the role of Aligarh Muslim University students was also being investigated in the violence.
"(The) violence started when a local police officer's vehicle was pelted with stones. Women and children have been sitting outside a police station for 48 hours... we had been requesting them to disperse. We told the women they could hold a protest at a designated spot," Singh said
The Uttar Pradesh police has been accused of high-handedness while dealing with anti-CAA protesters. Earlier this month, Noted Urdu poet Munnawar Rana's daughter Sumaiyaa had alleged that police was using excessive force to "crush" the anti-CAA protest at Eidgah in Aligarh.
Many women have been protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at the Eidgah complex with the police booking 250 of them recently for unlawful assembly. According to reports, many Eidgah protesters have also been served notices, warning them that their properties would be attached if they continued with their agitation.
Meanwhile, stone pelting between two groups was reported in the Maujpur area of Delhi where a large number of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters have gathered since Saturday night. According to reports, the clash erupted between pro and anti-CAA protesters after which they started stone-pelting. The situation escalated as police was outnumbered by the crowd. Some people have reportedly suffered injuries after police resorted to firing tear gas shells.
