Violence mars anti-caa protests Cannot restrain states from imposing NSA, says apex court
KOLKATA/MUMBAI/RANCHI: Several people, including two policemen, were injured when rival groups clashed in Kolkata over a discussion on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, while a bus driver was injured in Mumbai and stray incidents of stone pelting were reported from parts of Maharashtra during a statewide bandh called by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi as well as a curfew was imposed in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district.
The clash in the southern part of Kolkata’s Jodhpur Park area broke out on Thursday night when a group of men allegedly owing allegiance to the BJP, attacked a group of Trinamool Congress activists with knives and sticks when they were denied to participate in a discussion on the CAA, a police officer said. When the police tried to pacify the two warring groups they were attacked.
“Two policemen including one officer have been injured. The officer received injuries in his hands and is currently undergoing treatment,” said the police officer quoted above. Two motorbikes were also burnt during the clash. People injured in the clash were discharged after preliminary medical assistance at a nearby medical establishment, the officer said. The police have arrested three persons for their involvement in the clash.
In Maharashtra, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) had called for the statewide shutdown to protest against the CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
A bus driver was injured during stone pelting, but normal life remained largely unaffected.
Speaking to reporters at around 4 pm after calling off the shutdown, VBA leader Ambedkar said the bandh received “good response” from traders and office-goers in Mumbai and that it was “peaceful”.
People who engaged in stone pelting or vandalism during the bandh were not attached to the VBA and they were members of other organisations, he added.
“The protest was held peacefully in the rest of the Maharashtra. We were able to convey the message against the CAA, the NRC and the NPR. It is affecting Muslims as well as Hindus...,” Ambedkar said.
Earlier in the day, the driver of a BEST (civic undertaking) bus suffered injuries after stones were pelted on the vehicle in
Mumbai’s eastern suburb of Chembur, an official said. The incident took place at around 9.15 am when some unidentified persons pelted stones at the bus heading towards Kurla station on route number 362, said a spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Stray incidents of stone pelting on city buses were also reported from Solapur and Aurangabad districts, police said.
Curfew was imposed in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district following violence at a pro-caa rally, an official statement said. Stones were hurled at a rally taken out in support of the CAA in Amlatoli Chowk area, sparking tensions, police said. Some two-wheelers were set on fire following the attack. Security has been beefed up across the district following the incident, police said.
NEWDELHI: There cannot be a blanket court order restraining government from resorting to National Security Act (NSA), the Supreme Court said on Friday refusing to entertain a plea challenging imposition of NSA in Delhi and certain other states.
In a plea by advocate ML Sharma, a bench headed by justice Arun Mishra said that imposition of NSA is based on law and order considerations and the court cannot issue a general direction tie the hands of authorities” by passing broad directions.
“You are telling us to issue a direction to the government not to arrest. How can we do that”, the court asked Sharma and told him to withdraw his plea.
The court, however, said that it is open to considering individual cases of misuse of NSA by authorities as and when such instances are brought to the notice of the court.
The NSA is a preventive detention law which empowers the state to detain a person so as to prevent him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state or maintenance of public order. A person arrested under the act can be detained for a maxim period of twelve months.
Lieutenant governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal had passed the order on January 10 authorising the police to place the city under the National Security Act (NSA) from January 19 to April 18.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 3, read with clause (c) of Section 2 of the National Security Act, 1980, the Lt Governor pleased to direct that during the period January 19 to April 18, the Delhi Police Commissioner may also exercise the powers of detaining authority under sub-section (2) of the section 3 of the aforesaid Act,” the notification stated.
The notification came at a time when protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have gathered momentum in various parts of the country.
ML Sharma had also made the states of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur parties to the case in the plea.