Citizenship Act protests: UP police arrests 19 in Mau after violence

Nineteen people have been arrested in Mau in connection with Monday night's violence, which erupted over police action in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, officials said.

Protesters on Monday had vandalised a police station and torched vehicles as a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and police action at Jamia Millia Islamia turned violent here, prompting police to fire in the air.

"In connection with Monday's violence in Dakshintola area of Mau, as many as 24 persons have been identified so far. Of this 19 have been arrested. The mischief mongers are being identified through video footage and photos published in various newspapers," Additional Director General (Prosecution) Ashutosh Pandey told reporters on Tuesday.

Pandey said, "Internet has been suspended in the district till further orders. RAF and PAC has been deployed. Police force has been brought from nearby districts of Ballia, Ghazipur and Azamgarh. The situation is normal now."

Meanwhile, all the schools, colleges and 'madrasas' have been shut in view of the violence.

The videos of the violence, which have gone viral on social media, show that the computer room of Mau's Dakshintola police station being vandalised with chairs and some computers damaged.

A portion of the boundary wall of the police station was also damaged, and firemen could be seen extinguishing fire, which had erupted at one corner of the police station.