After violence over CAA\, govts struggle to strike balance\, set narrative

After violence over CAA, govts struggle to strike balance, set narrative

While the Chhattisgarh government ordered probe as school children participated in pro-CAA rally, West Bengal governor asked people not to pay attention to 'goli maaro' slogans

BS Web Team & Agencies 

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar appealed to the media to be proportionate and get away from sensationalism. Photo: ANI

The government on Monday informed the state Assembly that three anti-CAA agitators died in December last year after policemen fired in the air to control the situation but missed the aim. Two others were killed in attacks by miscreants during the agitation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said. A total of 573 people have been arrested across for their involvement in the anti-CAA movement, he said.

"When warning, lathicharge and tear gas shells could not pacify the agitated anti-CAA people, the police fired in the air with much restraint to control the situation, maintain law and order and for self defence," Patowary said in a written reply to a query by AGP MLA Pabindra Deka.

An inquiry into the deaths was being conducted by the Kamrup Metropolitan Magistrate, he added. To a query by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, Patowary said 573 people were arrested so far in 430 cases relating to protests against the amended citizenship law.

Govt school students take part in pro-CAA rally in Chhattisgarh

Students of a government school took part in a rally organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students' wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), last week in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the Register of Citizens (NRC) in Rajnandgaon district of the Congress-ruled

The February 28 incident prompted district education authorities to issue showcause notices to the school principal and Block Education Officer (BEO) and order a probe.

The students of the Government High School for Girls in Ambagarh Chowki town, clad in uniform, took part in the pro -CAA-NRC rally organised by the

Don't give much importance to ''goli maaro...'' slogan: Guv

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said much importance should not be given to the raising of provocative slogan -- "desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maro ..." (shoot the traitors) by some BJP "supporters" while heading for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in the city.

"If suppose there are 1,000 people and one person says something... that's 100 per cent for him... for me that's .01 per cent. Its a country of great positivity... its a very large country," Dhankhar told reporters.

"I would appeal to the media to be proportionate and get away from sensationalism. It's time to be very, very responsible in public life," he added.

Goa anti-CAA alliance distances itself from arrested tribal leader's comments

The Goa Alliance Against CAA-NRC-NPR (GACNN) on Monday distanced itself from the comments made by tribal leader Ramkrishna Jalmi, who was on Sunday arrested for describing sage Parashurama as a Greek terrorist at an anti-CAA meet in South Goa on February 29.

"GACNN reiterates that CAA-NRC-NPR has the potential to threaten the lives and livelihoods of common people across faiths and beliefs, and maintains that this threat has to be unitedly fought without being divisive and intolerant," the statement said.

"Considering the sentiments and beliefs of people in a diverse society like ours, the GACNN urges all concerned to refrain from airing any observations, views and opinions which can arouse or hurt religious sentiments or impede scientific temper," it added.

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First Published: Tue, March 03 2020. 12:27 IST