UP: Youth shot at, several injured as anti-CAA protest turns violent in Aligarh

AGRA: A 22-year-old youth was shot at and several other people were injured in Aligarh’s Upper kot and Babri Mandi area after clashes broke out between a group of anti-CAA protestors and the police on Sunday evening.
Till the filing of the report it wasn’t certain as to how the youth, whose condition is stated to be critical, was shot at, as police claimed that they did not open fire at the protesters and only resorted to tear gas firing to disperse the mob that indulged in arson and stone pelting.
The police claimed that the violence began after a vehicle of a local police officer, who was travelling in it with his family, was pelted with stones by women protesters in upper kot area around 4:30 pm. However the protesters claimed that the police resorted to “unprovoked” lathicharge while they were protesting and demanding tents at Shahjamal, where they have been sitting in a Shaheen Bagh like protest for last one month.

Police officials claimed that they had to resort firing tear gas shells to save the SHO Kotwali’s family after they were attacked.
Following the clash, internet services were suspended in the city for 24 hours. Additional police forces were also rushed to the spot, as the situation remained tense.
Police claimed that incidents of stone pelting also occurred in Babri mandi area after news about police action in upper kot spread. However the situation was brought under control.

Talking to TOI, DM CB Singh, admitted that the situation was tense but claimed that it was well under control now. He said that some women students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were behind the clash and they had turned violent to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the city. “They all have been identified and their role is being investigated,” he said.
He said that protesters had been given a designated spot to hold their protest, but they were not ready to listen and were trying to spread it to other parts of the city. “Police used tear gas to disperse them after the protesters who pelted stone on the police vehicle,” he said, adding that a few police personnel were injured.

One of the women protesters, Huma Tariq, who is a teacher and was present at the protest site in upper kot area told TOI that they had been protesting peacefully and demanding the permission to erect tents in Shahjamal as many of them had fallen sick due to the cold weather and heavy rains. She claimed that the administration had been denying them the permission and resorted to unprovoked lathicharge to silence them.
Another protester in Shahjamal area, Mohammad Tariq, alleged that the police personnel misbehaved with the women protesters and when the men present there protested, they resorted to cane charge. He admitted that in retaliation some
protesters did pelt stones on the cops.
The identity of the youth who was fired upon was not known immediately. However, local residents claimed that he was one of the protesters.