Seized blankets legally to avoid non-protesters from gathering at site, clarifies Lucknow police

Lucknow police on Saturday issued a clarification on claims of it having confiscated blankets from anti-CAA protesters, saying that the blankets which were being distributed at the venue of the protest were seized legally by the police as those who were not involved in the protest had begun gathering at the site to collect them.

Videos showing police taking away blankets and food items from the protest site at Lucknow's Ghanta Ghar had surfaced on social media.

In a statement, Lucknow police said that several people who were not part of the protest had started gathering at the site after seeing that free blankets were being distributed by a few organisations.

"Members of a few organisations were distributing blankets to the protesters at the site. Seeing this, several people who were not part of the protest had started gathering at the site to collect these blankets. The blankets were legally confiscated and the members of the organisations were removed from the venue," the statement read.

The statement further urged people not to spread rumours me.

The incident had taken place at Ghanta Ghar here during a protest by a large group of women against the amended citizenship act and the proposed National Registrar of Citizens (NRC).