UP: Anti-CAA protest erupts in Varanasi, police resorts to baton charge

Different organisations on Thursday staged a protest here over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 following which the police has to use force to disperse the crowd.

The local police resorted to baton charge to disperse the protesters who had gathered in the city to protest against the act despite the imposition of prohibitory orders.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people in the area is currently in place in Uttar Pradesh.

Protests have erupted across the country over the amended Citizenship Act, which seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Director-General of Police (DGP) OP Singh had said that Section 144 has been imposed in the state and adequate forces have been deployed to maintain law and order.