Government will avenge destruction of public assets during protests: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday (December 19) said his government will avenge the destruction of public assets during the protests over the amended citizenship law by seizing and auctioning off the property of those involved in the violence.

“There is no place for violence in a democracy. In the name of opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Congress, SP and Left parties have pushed the entire country into fire,” he said.

“There was violence in Lucknow and Sambhal and we will deal with it strictly. All property of those involved in damaging public assets will be seized and auctioned to compensate for the losses,” he said.

He said those damaging property have been captured in video and CCTV footage. We will take revenge from them by seizing their property, he added.

UP government spokesperson Shishir later told PTI that the chief minister’s remarks were in the context of a Supreme Court observation that those who damage public assets should be asked to pay for them.

Adityanath said prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been in force in the state since November 8 and no demonstration can take place without permission.

“Violence in the name of demonstration is not acceptable. I have talked to the officers and will ensure that the common man does not have any problem. We will strictly deal with those involved in violence,” the chief minister said.

He alleged that the opposition is creating confusion on the Citizenship Amendment Act as it is sidelined and ignored by the people.

“The CAA is not against any religion or section of society. It will ensure security and help refugees from other countries,” Adityanath said.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended mobile internet services and SMS of all mobile service providers in Lucknow till December 21 noon. Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi issued an order to this effect late on Thursday night. “The order is effective from 3 pm on December 19 till 12 pm on December 21,” he stated in the order.

The decision has been taken in view of violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

A 25-year-old man was killed as violence erupted in the state capital and some other parts of UP with protesters, angry over the amended citizenship law, pelting stones at police and torching vehicles. Internet services were also suspended in Sambhal, Aligarh, Mau, Ghaziabad and Azamgarh districts, even as Section 144 of the CrPC, which bans assembly of people, was already in force in the entire state for several days.

The CAA, which has met with objection from a section of people, allows citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis who entered India before 2015 after facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The list excludes Muslims.