237 arrested in Uttar Pradesh crackdown after Friday violence
made in Lakhimpur Kheri and Jalaun so far.
The FIRs stated that police personnel were injured in stonepelting by troublemakers.
He stated the largest numbers of 85 people were named and 5200 unidentified mentioned in three FIRs registered in Pryagaraj. He added four minors aged between 15 and 17 years were taken into custody along with other 64 people arrested in Prayagraj.
He said those taken in custody in Prayagraj, which was most affected by the violence in Atala area after Friday prayers, included those as young as 15 years and as old as 59 years of age.
He also said the state government had issued direction for the toughest action against all those anti-social elements who participated in attempts to vitiate atmosphere in various cities of the state (on Friday).
In a veiled warning to those creating problems, Mrityunjay Kumar, the media advisor to UP chief minister, in a tweet in Hindi on Saturday, said, “Updravi yaad rakhe, Har Shukravar ke baad ek Shanivaar bhi aata hai ( Remember, every Friday is followed by a Saturday)” with a picture of bulldozer demolishing a building.
In Prayagraj, those arrested included Kala Danda Qabristan committee chairman Javed Mohd aka Javed Pump, SSP Ajay Kumar said. The old city areas of Atala were transformed into a fortress with heavy security on Saturday while Rapid Action Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel, remained deployed in the locality and nearby areas of Roshanbagh, Khuldabad, Akbarpur and Kareli.
Police officials carried out a flag march in densely populated localities and lanes on Saturday morning, appealing to people to maintain peace.
Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) teams also started identification of illegal constructions and encroachments in Atala and nearby areas in an apparent follow-up of warnings issued by police and administrative officials about illegal properties of rioters being targeted following the Friday’s violent protest.
A report from Saharanpur said in ongoing action against protestors, a joint team of the Nagar Nigam, Saharanpur police and administration bulldozed illegal residential constructions in the house of two accused Muzammil and Abdul Waakir on Saturday.
Muzammil is a resident of Rahat Colony and Abdul Wakir of Khata Kheri locality in Saharanpur.
Police had arrested them along with other protestors on Friday for participating in an illegal procession taken out after prayers in Jama Masjid on Friday.
Earlier, people pelted police personnel with stones in Prayagraj and Saharanpur as people resorted to violence during their protests after Friday prayers. Firozabad, Aligarh Moradabad, Ambedkarnagar and Hathras also witnessed similar scenes during the marches that were carried out on Friday to protest the offensive remarks on Prophet Mohammad made by former BJP spokespersons earlier. Some leaders , including those of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), tweeted their reactions to the Friday’s violence on Saturday.