Day after clashes, uneasy calm in Aligarh

Uneasy calm prevailed in localities under the old city's Kotwali and Delhi Gate police stations here on Monday, a day after arson and group clashes.

Most shops remained closed in violence-hit areas but there were no fresh clashes on Monday. District authorities were seen persuading traders to open for business, and the situation improved by the evening.

"No untoward incident has been reported from any place since Sunday evening," Agra zone Additional Director General Police (ADGP) Ajay Anand told PTI.

On Sunday, over a dozen people needed medical treatment after stone-pelting between groups of protesters and clashes with police.

Two policemen were among those injured.

The ADGP said Mohamad Tariq Munawwar (22), who suffered gunshot injuries on Sunday, is now stable after emergency surgery and has been shifted to the ICU at Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital's trauma centre.

"If necessary, we will shift him to AIIMS, New Delhi. Currently, however, doctors are satisfied with his progress," Anand said.

He said police are in the process of identifying those involved in Sunday's violence.

"At the same time, we are initiating confidence-building measures with the help of community leaders to restore normalcy in all affected areas," he added.

District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh warned that any attempt to spread rumours would be dealt with strongly and the stringent National Security Act invoked.

Singh said internet services will continue to remain suspended till midnight Monday.

Trouble began Sunday evening in Upper Kot locality when police tried to remove women squatting on Mohamed Ali Road near the Kotwali police station since Saturday morning. They were demanding the withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Some people protested, leading to a scuffle and within minutes, stone-pelting started from neighbouring areas. Police lobbed tear gas shells and used rubber bullets to contain the violence.

However, the violence spilled over to neighbouring localities, including Babri Mandi, where according to police sources, members of the two communities pelted stones at each other and shots were fired.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the police action.

"The police lathi-charge on women protestors is condemnable. The BJP government has crossed all limits of cruelty, he said in a statement released in Lucknow.

Wielding lathis on women who are staging a non-violent and peaceful dharna is immoral, said.

He criticised the BJP government for its handling of protests by women against the CAA, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens. Dissent is allowed in a democracy, he said.