CAA, Jamia fire reach UP; violent protests at campuses

Protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 and the alleged police excesses on students of Delhi's Jamia Milia university reached Uttar Pradesh with a large number of students holding violent demonstrations in and outside varsity campuses in several parts of the state.

Curfew was imposed in Mau town, about 350 kilometres from here, after clashes between protesters and cops during which several vehicles were torched prompting the police to open fire.

UP government has cancelled the leave of all district magistrates and police chiefs in view of the situation.

Around two dozen students were arrested while several cops were injured in clashes between the security personnel and the students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Aligarh on Sunday night.

According to the police sources police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse the students, who had come out of the varsity campus and pelted stones at the cops.

The varsity has been closed till January five in view of the situation, AMU sources said.

The cops were accused of torching several motor bikes inside the AMU campus. A senior police official here said that a probe was being conducted into the allegations.

In Lucknow also, the students of Integral University and prestigious Islamic seminary Nadwa-tul-Ulema held demonstrations in protest against alleged police barbarity on Jamia students. Both the institutions were closed for a week.

In Varanasi also, the students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) skipped their classes to hold demonstrations at the varsity gate in support of the Jamia students on Monday.

In Azamgarh town, about 300 kilometres from here, hundreds of students of Shibli National College held a demonstration and shouted anti-government slogans in protest against CAA.

According to the police sources, section 144 has been promulgated in all the districts in the state. Internet services were suspended in six districts, including Aligarh, Saharanpur and Meerut.

Earlier in Saharanpur also, a large number of people, mostly Muslims, held demonstration against the CAA.