CAA protest:Large-scale violence across UP has 'Bengal link'

Lucknow: With 12 people have died in violent protests over the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) in Uttar Pradesh, initial investigations suggest that the large scale violence has West Bengal connections. At least 6 persons from Kolkata who were directly involved in arson and damaging state property in Thursday's unprecedented violence in Lucknow have been arrested by Lucknow police.

The police said that when the 11 mobile phones recovered from the spot of violence in Hazratganj area her were examined, the text of the phone list was to be in Bengali.

Police are questioning several youths who originally belong to Malda district in West Bengal. Director-General of Police O.P. Singh later said that outsiders were involved in the violent protests in Lucknow and the police are investigating more on the "outsider" angle to ascertain the conspiracy behind the pre-meditated violence.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, large-scale violence was reported in Rampur where protesters resorted to stone-pelting. One person died and several were reported injured when police used force to contain the frenzied mob from indulging in arson.

A report by Rampur police's Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) says that a call was given by local Muslim clerics to stage a protest near the Idgah and block offices. However, at several places, large crowds gathered and later indulged in violence.

In UP's "wild west", more than 250 protesters have been arrested in Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Bulandshahr. "Today the situation was more or less under control. We are now in the process of identifying the rioters who indulged in arson or damaging property. Their photographs are being displayed. The police have also recovered firearms from the rioters, particularly from Muzaffarnagar. Dozen of live cartridges were also seized from the spot," Additional Director General of Police, Meerut Zone, Prashant Kumar told IANS.

On Friday, several places in UP witnessed violent protests against the newly amended Citizenship Act. Protesters hurled stones and torched vehicles in Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Sambhal.

As a precaution, mobile internet services remain suspended in Aligarh, Mau, Azamgarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Sambhal and Allahabad in view of the protests.