Toll Touches 16 In U.P. As Protests Continue

Fresh incidents of violence in Kanpur, Rampur; police claim they did not open fire at protesters

Protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) continued in many parts of the country on Saturday, as the death toll from widespread violence in Uttar Pradesh rose to 16.

Fresh incidents of violence were reported from towns in Uttar Pradesh, while a bandh called by the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar affected road and rail traffic.

Protests in West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtra and the national capital were peaceful. Chennai continued to witness protests, with activists from several students’ organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Untouchablity Eradication Front, clashing with the police at the Dr. Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Central Railway Station.

A 25-year-old youth died and several people were injured in clashes between protesters and the police in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, officials said. Many persons were injured in Kanpur, after protesters set the Yatimkhana police post on fire and threw stones at the police. Over 260 policemen were also injured, of whom 57 received gunshot wounds, IG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar told PTI.