Violent clashes erupted between police and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh on Sunday following incidents of arson and stone-pelting. Sources said that police fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters. According to police, the protesters vandalised public properties and pelted stones at cops in upper Kot area of the Kotwali police station.
The incidences of stone-pelting were also reported from a spot where some women protestors were holding a sit-in against the CAA since Saturday (February 22) on the Mohamed Ali Road leading to the Kotwali police station.
It is learnt that the violence erupted after a march led by supporters of Bhim Army and anti-CAA protesters heading to the district collectorate was stopped by security personnel.
The protesters, however, started marching towards the Eidgah area in the city where hundreds of anti-CAA protestors, mostly women, had been holding a round-the-clock protest for the past three weeks.
Talking to media, Aligarh SSP Rajmuni said that an FIR has been registered against three persons at the Delhi Gate police station for trying to violate prohibitory orders. The SSP added that the police is on high alert to prevent any untoward incident. "Our channels of communications with protesters are going to remain open but it does not mean we will allow anybody disturb the city's law and orders," remarked SSP Rajmuni.
Talking to ANI, Aligarh District Magistrate Chandrabhushan Singh said that some women students from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were involved in instigating the women protesters and the police was trying to identify them.
