Cops fill park with water to stop anti-CAA protests in Azamgarh
VARANASI: The Uttar Pradesh police on Wednesday used a novel way to deter a group of women in Bilariaganj town of Azamgarh district from occupying a barren park to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Police used mild force and tear gas shells to chase them away and then pumped water to leave it slushy so that the group could not reoccupy the space for the protest.The group had occupied the barren, unfenced park in the town for the sit-in protest on Tuesday. “Dozens of women holding placards with slogans against the CAA and national register of citizens (NRC) started a protest at the park without any permission from local administration on Tuesday. While most of the women left the place around 4pm, they gathered again by 6 pm. This time with more women,” said a senior police officer. In the night, district magistrate (DM) NP Singh and superintendent of police (SP) Triveni Singh spoke to protesters and tried to convince them to end their dharna but the women refused to budge.At around 4 am, policewomen reached the spot and asked the protesters to vacate the park. When they refused, they used mild force to evict them.A police officer said the youths present outside the park pelted the cops with stones. Police cane charged the youths and drove them away. Later, police dispersed the women protesters by lobbing tear gas shells. The administration pumped water in the park that turned it slushy and muddy.
Three police personnel were injured in the stone pelting. The vehicle of the Bilariaganj station officer was also damaged. Heavy police force has been deployed at the spot as a preventive measure. SP said that the situation was normal.Later, in the day, police claimed it had lodged an FIR against 35 named and over 100 unidentified persons and arrested 19 persons.
SP Triveni Singh said the teams had been deployed to ensure arrest all those who were involved in pelting stones on cops.