AMN /Bulandshahr / LUCKNOW
Muslims in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh handed over a demand draft of Rs 6,27,507 to the district administration on Friday towards what they say are damages for violence in the town last week protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The administration was present in the Upper Kot area of the district to ensure that Friday prayers were conducted peacefully.
After the prayers, members of the community met District Magistrate Ravinder Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar and handed over the demand draft. The locals also handed over roses to officers of the district administration.
Videos and a press release sent out by the Uttar Pradesh government suggest that prominent citizens from the Muslim community in western Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr have handed the district administration a cheque of over Rs 6 lakh towards what they say are damages for violence in the town last week after Friday prayers, in protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The release also says clerics in the neighbouring district of Muzaffarnagar, that also saw large scale violence, have apologized to the local administration for the violence there.
Last Friday, protests against the amended citizenship law in Bulandshahr turned violent, leading to damage of public property.
Kumar told reporters that government vehicles and other property was damaged by the crowd last Friday.
“With this, Bulandshahr has made a good start, they have realised that the government property has been bought from the tax-payers money. It is their own loss and damage,” he said. “The people in Bulandshahr have come with an ‘avedan’ (request) letter and a demand draft of Rs 6,27,507. People have felt this (violence) should not have happened.” he added.
Kumar said the the proposal for this move was made in a meeting with the commissioner and the inspector general. “In a meeting with senior officials, a proposal was put regarding the collection and offering to the administration,” he said.
However, there have also been several reports and CCTV footage showing the police burning properties of local residents in the state.
The country is witnessing widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. There have been peaceful marches and gatherings in UP in protest against the new law that gives citizenship on the basis of religion.