Red alert in Aligarh, heavy security deployed in view of Friday prayers

Aligarh: A red alert was sounded and the city put under a heavy security cover in view of the first Friday prayers since the police crackdown on the students of Aligarh Muslim University protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act earlier this week.

A senior official said that District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh has issued a red alert, and 10 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and four companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed as a precautionary measure.

The heavy security measures are in view of the Friday prayers, officials said. Internet services remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day while banking services and businesses have been badly hit. The city has been witnessing continued demonstrations for the past few days, with the situation turning violent on Sunday when hundreds of AMU students protesting the amended Citizenship Act clashed with the police at a campus gate, leaving 60 injured.

Teachers from AMU took out a protest march on Thursday while shopkeepers in some areas of the city briefly downed shutters in support.

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