CAA protests: Internet suspended in Azamgarh for 48 hrs

A protest against the amended Citizenship Act turned violent in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh, with police using mild force to disperse the agitators who hurled stones at them, prompting authorities to suspend Internet services for 48 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

Police said that some students of Jamia Ashrafia University and locals held a protest Tuesday evening in the Mubarakpur police station area against the changes in the citizenship amendment act.

They said the protestors raised slogans and police teams rushed there to control the situation but they were allegedly subjected to brick-batting.

The protesters targeted the police with stones and the police used mild force to disperse them, according to video footage from the protest.

"Based on the video footage, police have identified 30 people and a case has been registered against them. Ten people have been detained at the Mubarakpur police station," Singh said.

The police did not say if any student has also been detained.

District Magistrate Nagendra Pratap Singh visited the scene and pacified the protestors. "In view of the rumours going on on social media, Internet services have been suspended in the district this afternoon for 48 hours," he said this afternoon.

The situation is normal on Wednesday, officials said.

Earlier on Monday evening, political workers and Shibli college students protested near the college where Mubarakpur BSP MLA Shah Alam (Guddu Jamali) was also present.

"Inflammatory speeches" were made during the protest, police said.

"In the case, we have identified 20 people based on video footage and a case has been registered against them. Nobody has been arrested as yet," Azamgarh SP Triveni Singh said.