CAA: 150 protesters detained in Lucknow; internet snapped in Mangaluru

Lucknow/ Mangaluru/Delhi, December 20

Advertisement

Scores of people, including human rights and social activists hit the streets in Uttar Pradesh’s capital on Friday to register their opposition to Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), defying orders that barred people from converging in groups in public places.

According to senior police officials, about 150 people were detained, besides the internet services have been shut down across the state including the capital.

This has been done after Thursday’s protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent in Lucknow and Sambhal and led to large scale destruction of public and private property.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi said that the shutdown would continue till December 21 midnight. All private telecom operators have also shut services after the government order.

According to a senior police official, it was found late on Thursday night that the violent protests on Thursday were being live-streamed on the social media which aggravated the situation.

“Apart from the internet, SMS and messenger services have also been blocked. We are trying to inform our customers about this,” said a private telecom manager in Lucknow.

Meanwhile, violence-hit Mangaluru port city in Karnataka’s west coast region remained calm but tense under curfew a day after two persons were killed in police firing, police said on Friday.

“In view of the curfew in the city, schools and colleges have been shut till Saturday, as state-run and private buses and auto-rickshaws are not plying. There are curbs on free movement of vehicles, especially in the violence-hit area in the city’s northern and central parts,” Mangaluru police official Guru Kamat said.

Additional police forces from neigbouring districts have been deployed in the port city to ensure tight security and enhance vigil against anti-social elements and rumour/mischief mongers.

“We have detained a number of people since Thursday evening for allegedly indulging in rioting, violent attack on policemen, including officers and causing damage to public property,” asserted Kamat.

Internet data services on mobile devices have been suspended since midnight for two days (48 hours) across the city and Dakshina Kannada district to prevent spread of rumours and instigating vested interests from disturbing peace and calmness.

However, mobile internet service resumed in Assam on Friday morning, the 10th day after it was banned during protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Though the Gauhati High Court had ordered its restoration by 5 pm on Thursday, the state government had not issued any instruction to the mobile operators to implement the court directive.

Other operators like state-owned BSNL, Reliance Jio and Vodafone too have resumed their services.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in 12 police station areas of Northeast Delhi on Friday as police carried out a flag march in the district.

The police also used drones to keep a tab on the law and order situation in the area.

Agencies