AGENCIES / NEW DELHI
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday justified the brutal nature of police crackdown during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the state, saying the action taken by authorities has “shocked” every demonstrator into silence.
A series of tweets put out by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Friday night justified the police action and promised strict action against all those who had participated in the protests.
“Every rioter is shocked. Every demonstrator is shocked. Everyone has been silenced after seeing Yogi Adityanath government’s stern intentions. The chief minister has announced that anyone damaging public property will have to pay. Every violent protester will cry now because there is a Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh,” the CMO said in one of the tweets.
As many as 21 people have died from gunshot injuries although the state government has denied the reports of police atrocities. Thousands have been detained or arrested even as activists have decried the situation in the state as shocking and brutal.
In another tweet, the CMO said, “After seeing the all-powerful form of Yogi Adityanath’s government, every rioter must be thinking that he has made a big mistake by challenging Yogi’s authority.” The CMO said the action taken by his government against the rioters has set an example for the entire country.
Uttar Pradesh police said they have identified 498 people — with as many as 148 from Meerut alone — who will be asked to pay up for losses incurred. State officials had earlier said that steps to attach the properties of “vandals” have already been initiated in some districts, including Rampur. On Thursday, police officers confirmed that as many as 1,113 people have been arrested from places across the state in connection with the anti-CAA protests.
Another tweet from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s office claimed that peace has returned to the state.
Meanwhile, the process to confiscate the property of those involved in damaging public assets during the protests gained momentum as 372 people were served notices in different districts till Thursday.