Police have right to control protestors with water cannons, tear gas: Former DGP Prakash Singh

After the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh DGP and sought a response on violence during anti-CAA protests, former Director General of Police (DGP) Prakash Singh on Wednesday said the police have a right to control the crowd with water cannons and tear gas.

Earlier in the day, the NHRC issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh DGP and sought a response on the violence and killings in the state during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in many parts of the state.

"The NHRC has the right to know whether there has been any violation of human rights and the police will answer it. When the mob gets violent, the police have the right to control the crowd," Singh told ANI.

"The usage of water cannon, tear gas, lathi charge or firing are decided on the spot by looking at the situation. However, the police do not want the people to die," he added.

Protests have intensified in several parts of the country after the Parliament gave its nod to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which became an Act after getting assent from President Ram Nath Kovind.

The Act grants Indian citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.