Opposition using women, children as shields: Yogi Adityanath on CAA protests

As the protests by the women against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act at several places in Uttar Pradesh continued despite coercive actions by the police, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday accused the opposition parties of using the women and children as 'shield'.

Addressing a public meeting at Kanpur, about 90 kilometres from here, Adityanath also warned that the state government would take stern action against those, found to be damaging public properties while protesting.

''The opposition lacks the courage to hold protest demonstrations...they have therefore decided to use women and children as a shield...these women do not even know what they are protesting against,'' the chief minister said.

''Women are being made to organise dharnas while the men are taking a rest at homes,'' he remarked.

Adityanath said that his government would take such a strict action against those, who damaged public properties, that their future generations would not be able to 'forget' it.

Large groups of women have been holding dharnas in several parts of the state in protest against the CAA. In the state capital of Lucknow, the police seized blankets, eatables, switched off the street lights and locked the public toilet near the venue to force the women to call off their dharnas though unsuccessfully.

According to a report from Etawah town, about 250 kilometres from here, police made a lathi charge to disperse a group of women, who had embarked on a dharna at a park there to protest the CAA.

Sources said that so far over 200 women have been booked by the police for rioting and violating section 144. Three women protesters were arrested in Aligarh town.