Police clampdown on women protestors: SP, Congress stage walkout from UP Assembly

Lucknow: MLAs of the Samajwadi Party and Congress staged a walkout from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Monday protesting the use of force to in an attempt to disperse women demonstrating against the CAA and NRC in Aligarh.

Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chowdhury of the Samajwadi Party raised the issue as soon as the House met at 11 am and questioned the government over lathi-charging and lobbing tear gas shells during anti-CAA protests in Aligarh on Sunday.

In his reply, UP’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna accused Chowdhury of wasting the time of the House by raising the same issue every time.

Chowdhury sought a discussion on the issue during Question Hour and alleged that the minister was trying to avoid it.

Khanna responded saying, "We have reply of (sic) everything and law and order is the priority of the government."

Unsatisfied, SP members staged a walkout from the House.

Congress legislative party leader Aradhana Mishra Mona too joined the SP and walked out, accusing the government of committing atrocities on women protestors.

Aligarh District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh claimed that teargas was used against anti-CAA protesters as they had been vandalising property, setting off fires and pelting stones at the uniformed personnel in upper Kot area of Kotwali police station limits.

The violence had broken out at a spot where some women protestors had been holding a dharna since Saturday on the Mohamed Ali Road leading to the Kotwali police station, with the police trying to evict protesters from there.