Amid suspension of Internet services in 21 districts and intense security, Friday prayers concluded “safely” across Uttar Pradesh, a week after several cities and towns witnessed arson and vandalism during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the police said.
The number of persons arrested across the State since December 10 in connection with the violence during the protests touched 1,246, with another 5,558 persons held in preventive custody, the police said. More than 370 cases have been registered.
The police have also arrested 125 persons and filed 95 FIRs for “objectionable posts, rumours, messages and videos” posted on the social media. Action has also been taken in respect of 20,950 posts on the social media, including 10,380 on Twitter and 10,389 on Facebook, the police headquarters said in a statement.
So far, the police have admitted to 19 deaths during the protests.
In Lucknow, the famous Teele Wali Masjid held prayers peacefully, amid a heavy presence of police and Rapid Action Force personnel outside its gates. After ‘namaz’ concluded, people trickled out of the gate and headed home, instead of gathering outside the gate.
Director-General of Police O.P. Singh said the State was peaceful for the fourth day running and law and order was maintained, but there was a strategic deployment of forces at sensitive places which witnessed violence last week.
Mr. Singh said that while “innocent” persons would not be punished, those involved would not be spared.
“Any person involved in this will not be spared. If we are not touching the innocent, we also won't spare those involved. That is why we have arrested active members of several organisations, be if PFI or SDPI. Or for that matter members of those political parties, who supported directly or indirectly," Mr. Singh said.
He said Internet services were temporarily suspended in 21 districts, including the State capital, to prevent “fake news circulating or rumours flying around”.
Several well-known activists in Lucknow and Varanasi, including retired IPS officer S.R. Darapuri and senior advocate Mohammad Shoaib, have been arrested, with many questioning the police action.
Mr. Singh justified the arrest of several activists and political detainees, saying they were picked up from the spot and questions should not be raised on their arrests. "They did the work of incitement at the scene. But even then, we will have a look at the evidences, and on the basis of that take action against them and see what kind of sections are invoked against them," he said.
The DGP said the police had beforehand appealed people against attending the protest in view of Section 144.
"So nobody can say they didn't know about the unlawful assembly," he said.
