Uttar Pradesh: Internet Suspended in 16 districts, Sec 144 Imposed

The UttarPradesh administration has imposed Section 144 in the entire state as apreventive measure in the wake of protests against the contentious CitizenshipAmendment Act. Assembly of four or more people in the areas is prohibited underthe section.

Internet servicesin several districts have also been suspended to curb the spread of fakeinformation through social media. The affected districts include Bulandshahar,Agra, Sambhal, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Firozabad,Mathura, Shamli and Aligarh.

The UPadministration has taken the decision to maintain law and order in the state asprotests turned violent last week after the agitators clashed with the policeand vandalized public properties.

The UPgovernment has also initiated a crackdown on miscreants who resorted toviolence during the protests against the recently enacted Citizenship law.

Properties of at least 498 protestors, who vandalized public properties in the state will be seized. The protestors have already been issued a notice regarding the same. According to a circular, the government has identified the anti-socials who caused damage to public property while taking part in anti-CAA protests which will now confiscate their property to recover the damages.

At least 82 people from Lucknow, 148from Meerut, 26 from Sambhal, 79 from Rampur, 13 from Ferozabad, 50 fromKanpur, 73 from Muzzafarnagar, 8 from Mao and 19 from Bulandshahar have beenidentified as those who damaged the public property during the CAA protests inthe state from December 10-24.

Till date, a total of 213 FIRs havebeen registered in the state against demonstrators for protests, sabotage andarson since December 10 while 925 accused have been arrested, as per the datareleased by the Lucknow DGP Headquarters. 5,558 people have beendetained. 

A total of 81 FIRs have beenregistered for posting objectionable content in social media and 120 accusedhave been arrested. Action has been taken on 7,513 Twitter posts, 9,076Facebook posts, and 172 YouTube videos.