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Anti-CAA protests: Fresh violence erupts in UP; vehicles torched, cops lathi-charge protesters, 6 die

Two protestors were killed in Bijnor while one died in Sambhal, Firozabad, Meerut and Kanpur.

Anti-CAA protests: Fresh violence erupts in UP; vehicles torched, cops lathi-charge protesters, 6 die

In the evening, UP DGP OP Singh confirmed death of at least six people in the state. (Photo: Twitter/@snehanshus)

Even as prohibitory orders are in place across the state of Uttar Pradesh, fresh incidents of violence were reported Muzaffarnagar, Bahraich, Bulandshahr, Gorakhpur, Firozabad, Aligarh, Meerut, Kanpur and Farukhhabad as thousands, yet again on Friday, took to the streets to protest against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Violence erupted in at least seven districts of the state — Muzaffarnagar, Bahraich, Bulandshahr, Gorakhpur, Firozabad, Aligarh and Farukhhabad — after Friday prayers today afternoon.

In the evening, UP DGP OP Singh confirmed death of at least six people in the state.

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As per the NDTV reports, two protestors were killed in Bijnor while one died in Sambhal, Firozabad, Meerut and Kanpur.

However, the police maintained that they didn’t shoot a single bullet. “We did not shoot at anybody. If any firing has happened, it was from the protesters’ side,” another officer told NDTV.

Friday once again witnessed protesters resorting to stone pelting on security forces and torching of vehicles. The police personnel in riot gear used tear gas to disperse the raging mob. Protesters were also lathicharged at a few places.

Meanwhile, Section 144 — that prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in an area — has been imposed in the state.

District Magistrate of Bulandshahr, Ravindra Kumar said that mobile internet services and broadband services will remain suspended in the district from 3 pm onwards today, until further notice.

Internet and text messaging services have been suspended in 14 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow following Thursday’s violent protests as demonstrators resorted to arson.

The fresh violence erupts amid peaceful demonstrations at Delhi’s Jama Masjid led by Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad.

Uttar Pradesh witnessed some of the worst protest-related violence, where media persons were attacked and OB vans were razed in Lucknow on Thursday. Similar acts of violence and arson were reported from places such as Sambhal in the state.

20 motorcycles, 10 cars, 3 buses and 4 media OB vans were set ablaze in the area around Parivartan Chowk, Lucknow during protests against CAA.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Ferozabad district, a police post was damaged and three vehicles were torched by the mob. Police used tear gas to control the situation.

As per the reports, at least 3,000 people across UP were arrested since Thursday night in connection with the protests.

Protest in Meerut turned violent at Lisari Gate againt CAA as the protesters started pelting stones on the police. As per the reports, two killed in the clash.

Almost all the country’s major cities – Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Lucknow, Patna, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad – saw protesters on the streets despite substantial police presence and imposition of Section 144 at several places.

Delhi, Assam and Uttar Pradesh have witnessed some of the worst protest-related violence against the citizenship law.

Protests against CAA that were earlier confined to the northeast, have swept the country over the past week after several protesters, including students clashed with the police in Delhi’s Jamia Milia Islamia on December 15.

The amended law seeks to provide citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and have arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.

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