Poet Munawwar Rana’s daughters among 16 held for anti-CAA protests in Lucknow
Police have filed three FIRs in connection with the anti-CAA protests in Lucknow. Two daughters of poet Munawwar Rana’ are among 16 women booked.
The police have booked 16 women, including two daughters of poet Munawwar Rana, in connection with the anti-CAA protest at Clock Tower, in Lucknow’s Chowk area, even as protests spread to Ujariaon area of Gomti Nagar where over 15 women on Monday staged a sit-in near a dargah, holding placards showing anti-CAA, NRC slogans.
Notably, Union home minister Amit Shah will hold a rally in Lucknow on Tuesday to drum up support for the citizenship law.
The demonstrators s at Clock Tower are on the radar of the child rights panel for allegedly involving children in the protest.
The police on Sunday lodged three FIRs for violation of section 144 of the Cr PC, instigating people, assault or criminal force to deter public servant, and booked total 24 identified persons, including 16 women, and over 100 unidentified persons.
As per one of the FIRs, police alleged that Sumaiyya Rana and Faujia Rana (both daughters of Munawwar Rana) and two other women were present at Clock Tower and misbehaved with a woman constable. Police have booked them under section 188 (disobeying government order) and section 353 (deterring public servant from performing duties).
In another FIR, police booked 18 people, including 12 women, for violating section 144. Police said some people, mostly women, gathered at Clock Tower and shouted slogans against NRC and CAA on January 17. Even the road was obstructed for some time, the police said in the FIR. They have included the numbers of over-a-dozen vehicles in the FIR for idle parking.
The third FIR was filed against two persons, accusing them of instigating people to protest in violation of section 144.
A police official said two persons — identified as Laiq Hasan and Nasreen Jawed — arrived at the protest site on Friday and instigated the public. They have been booked under section 505B (statement conducing public mischief) and 188 of IPC.
Child Rights Panel Mulls Action
As the protest completed its fourth day, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is reportedly closely monitoring the situation as many children were seen with the protesters. The commission has written to the director general of police (DGP) for monitoring the situation. A commission member, Shuchita Chaturvedi, said, “We received reports that some children were present at protest site. Also, some women are sitting on ‘dharna’ with children in their lap.” She added: “Reports are coming from across the state. Children are being made to shout slogans, read anti-CAA, anti-NRC statements. This is violation of Juvenile Justice Act.”