India

NEW DELHI (AP) — Paramilitary and police forces were deployed and the internet shut down Friday in Muslim-majority districts in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which has experienced the highest death toll in protests that have erupted nationwide against a new citizenship law that excludes Muslims.

Security drones buzzed over western Uttar Pradesh, where protests turned violent after last week’s Friday prayers.

Bhopal/Jabalpur, Dec 26 (PTI) A video purportedly showing policemen damaging parked vehicles in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh, which witnessed violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), have surfaced on social media.

The Jabalpur Police said on Thursday that it would examine the authenticity of the video.

Incidents of police allegedly smashing up vehicles after violence during anti-CAA protests, supposedly to teach a lesson to the protesters, have been reported from other parts of the country.

Kolkata, Dec 26 (PTI) Asserting that peaceful protests will continue as long as the new citizenship law is not withdrawn, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned the BJP against "playing with fire".

Speaking at a protest rally in the city, the Trinamool Congress supremo accused the BJP of not keeping its promises, and referred to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's remark about putting on hold compensation to families of two people killed in police firing on anti-CAA protesters in Mangaluru.

Lucknow, Dec 25 (PTI) Internet services, which had been suspended here last week amid widespread violent protest against the changes in citizenship law and the proposed creation of a National Register of Citizens, were restored on Wednesday, an official said.

"Internet services have resumed in Lucknow," District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash told PTI on Wednesday.

Internet services in the state capital were suspended on Thursday night after violent protests against the amended Citizenship Bill.

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday alleged that the National Population Register (NPR) approved by the BJP government was different and dangerous in terms of the "text and context" of the data collection done in 2010.

Charging that the BJP government has a "sinister agenda", he said if the BJP's motives are bonafide, the Government should unconditionally state that they support the NPR form and design of 2010 and do not intend to link it to the controversial NRC.

Aurangabad, Dec 26 (PTI) Shiv Sena MP Hemant Patil on Thursday claimed that a letter purportedly pledging his support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is "fake".

His comments came after reports in a section of media said the lawmaker wrote to the administration of his constituency Hingoli in Maharashtra in support of the amended citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which the Shiv Sena leadership has criticised.

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday flagged off 100 standard-floor buses buses in Delhi.

The buses are equipped with state-of-the-art features like hydraulic lifts for the differently-abled persons, GPS trackers, panic buttons and CCTV cameras to ensure safety of women.

Hamirpur (UP), Dec 26 (PTI) A teenage girl, who was allegedly raped, was found dead on a railway track here, police said on Thursday.

The 17-year-old girl left home for coaching on Wednesday evening and was later found dead on the tracks, Circle Officer Anurag Singh said.

The girl's family alleged she was raped and later killed.

On the complaint of the victim's uncle, an FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons.

Mumbai, Dec 26 (PTI) In a veiled dig at former ally BJP, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said arrogance often leads to downfall of people.

The remark came in the backdrop of the BJP's tough stand over protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"Toofan mein kashtian aur ghamand mein hastiyan aksar doob jaati hain" (ships in a storm and personalities due to arrogance often sink), Raut said in a tweet.

Lucknow, Dec 26 (PTI) Favouring implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board on Thursday said Indian Muslims do not have any threat from it.

"Hindustani Muslims do not have any threat from NRC. It should be implemented in the country. The real matter is of identification of intruders, who are real threat to the country," UPSCWB Chairman Waseem Rizvi said.