Lucknow: Preceding the inaugural Friday devotions post the ratification of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) today, the Uttar Pradesh Police have reinforced security measures across all territories.
In Lucknow, a cohort of nearly a dozen individuals, among whom is Sumaiya, the offspring of celebrated bard Munawwar Rana, known for their opposition to the CAA in the year 2020, find themselves confined to their dwellings under police surveillance. Conspicuous processions have been undertaken by law enforcement in the volatile precincts of Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Moradabad, and Muzaffarnagar. Mandates from the Director General of Police (DGP) headquarters advocate vigilance among police personnel spanning all districts. Furthermore, police authorities engage in dialogues with religious dignitaries and stakeholders of peace committees. Concurrently, the recall of all officers on furlough and the annulment of any further leave until Holi denote measures undertaken to fortify the force.
Approximately 5,000 individuals, implicated in tumultuous demonstrations against the CAA-NRC agenda during the years 2019 and 2020, remain under the scrutiny of the UP Police. Though nearly 50,000 participants partook in the upheaval, a sizable fraction eluded identification. DGP Prashant Kumar underscores the readiness of law enforcement to ensure tranquility within the state.
Instructions emanating from the DGP headquarters advocate surveillance over 3,300 individuals, named respondents in 509 First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged between 2019 and 2020. Subsequently, local law enforcement agencies maintain vigilance over their movements and online activities.
During the period spanning 2019 to 2020, a cumulative total of 509 litigations were initiated across 41 districts in UP, encompassing 16 in Lucknow, 34 in Kanpur, 22 in Aligarh, 47 in Muzaffarnagar, 35 in Firozabad, 13 in Meerut, and 12 in Sambhal against agitators opposing the CAA-NRC legislation. Chargesheets were filed in 406 instances, with over 100 FIRs lodged, naming 3,300 respondents and citing 54,545 unknown individuals. Arrests numbering 5,836 were executed across various districts for acts of unrest.