Yogi alleges opposition hand behind CAA violence in UP

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday alleged that the opposition parties were behind the large scale violence in Lucknow and elsewhere during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Taking a serious view of the violence during which dozens of vehicles were torched, Adityanath said that the offenders would have to pay from their pockets for destroying public properties.

"Congress and other opposition parties are behind the protests... they are creating confusion among the people on the CAA... there is no place for violence in a democracy," the chief minister, who chaired a high-level meeting of the officials here following the violence, said.

Adityanath said that the police had been directed to sternly deal with the trouble mongers and protesters. "We will not allow anyone to threaten peace in the state," he added.

"We will auction the properties of the offenders to compensate the loss suffered by the government," he remarked.

State police chief O P Singh said that the situation was under control and security personnel had been deployed in strength to maintain law and order.

Police officials said that the offenders would be identified through the CCTV footage and apprehended.