Three killed as protests break out nationwide
State govt suspends internet services in Mangaluru city, Dakshin Kannada dist for 48 hrs, beginning 10pm Dec 19
BENGALURU/LUCKNOW: Two people were killed in Mangaluru in Karnataka after protests turned violent, while large-scale agitation resulted in the death of one person in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow on Thursday as demonstrators across states took to the streets against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Hundreds were detained as protesters defied prohibitory orders of Section 144, imposed across states, even as demonstrations in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Kerala and the North-east remained largely peaceful.
Noted historian Ramachandra Guha, who was part of the protest at the Town Hall in Bengaluru, was among those briefly detained by the police on Thursday.
Guha hit out at the current Bharatiya Janata Party-led administration for using a colonial-era law to “supress dissent and stifle differing voices” and alleged that the government was diverting “attention from a sinking economy”.
The Karnataka government also suspended internet services in Mangalore city and Dakshin Kannada district for 48 hours, beginning 10pm on December 19.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace in the wake of violent protests. In the state capital, police resorted to lathicharge, fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to control the situation.
Protesters also clashed with police and dozens of vehicles were set ablaze or damaged during the violence. The UP police also denied the allegation that Mohammad Wakeel’s death was connected to the protests.
BENGALURU: Two people were killed in Mangaluru in Karnataka on Thursday after protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens turned violent, police said. Hundreds of people defied prohibitory orders of Section 144, imposed by the state police across several cities including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalburgi, Hassan, Huballi and Dharwad. Police had imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC on Wednesday across these cities.
The government also suspended internet services in Mangalore city and Dakshin Kannada district for 48 hours, beginning 10pm on December 19.
As protests turned confrontational, with protesters throwing stones at the police in Mangaluru, the police opened fire in which 49-year-old Jaleel and 23-year-old
Nausheen were critically injured. The residents succumbed to their injuries late on Thursday. Manguluru police commissioner PS Harsha said that police were forced to open fire on protesters in self-defence, and that 20 cops were injured. Curfew has been imposed in the city till midnight on Friday.
Reacting to the developments chief minister B S Yediyurappa tweeted saying, “I request all citizens of the state to remain calm and maintain peace. False propaganda is being spread about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Do not pay heed to politically motivated provocative statements from anyone. It is deplorable that violence was triggered in Mangaluru by those who went by the words of mischief mongers. I appeal to the people, particularly those in Mangaluru to maintain harmony and to refrain from destroying public property.”
Reacting to the deaths in Mangaluru, KPCC President Dinesh
Gundu Rao tweeted, “Tragic news in Mangaluru. Two people have died in police firing and two are supposedly critically injured. The BJP is directly responsible for breakdown of law & order. The statements and actions of the BJP govt...is creating an unnecessary provocative environment.”
In most other cities, protests were relatively peaceful except for some stray incidents of stone pelting. In Bengaluru, hundreds of people turned up at Puttannachetty Town Hall the main venue for protests. Even though the police had deployed more than 40 platoons to maintain law and order, hundreds streamed into the protest venue.
Meanwhile,two Congress leaders Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Gowda and Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy filed a petition in the Karnataka high court questioning the move to impose Section 144 in several parts of the state. The petition has been listed for hearing on Friday.