Political Parties

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Police officers along with protesters in Kanpur, Northern India, Uttar Pradesh , the most affected have been bumps in the ongoing protests against a controversial new citizenship law. At least 19 people died in The State since the protests began on the 20. December . The Bbc Vikas Pandey travels to the region to find out why it is such a large and violent protests has experienced it.

The extremely narrow streets of the Babupurwa in Kanpur city lead me to Mohammed Shareef ' s home.

He sits outside the little tin-roof house. It's just a room., at the same time as a kitchen during The Day and bedroom at night He stands up, hugs me and breaks. A few minutes pass in silence.

"I've Lost Everything . I have no will To Live . What was my son's fault? Why shoot The Police him?" trying to keep it, he says with the tears.

to His 30-year-old son, Muhammad, WEEE, died on December 23 - Three Days after he was shot in the stomach.

"My son was not to protest. He was a street dealer and just happened to be at the protest site. But even if he protested, he deserved to die?

"he Has to die, because we are Muslims? We are not citizens of This Country ? I think this question until I die," he says.

The protest, where Mohammed WEEE was shot, was one of dozens that have taken place against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Uttar Pradesh , one of the poorest States in India. Some have become violent as stone-throwing protesters fought with Police officers.

at least 50 officers were injured in the clashes in Uttar Pradesh Alone , But The Police also accused of using disproportionate force against anti-CAA-protesters.

Civil rights groups say The Law , which offers amnesty for non-Muslim immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, discriminated against the Muslims. The government argues, however, it will not flee for the protection of religious minorities against persecution, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Minister of the interior Amit Shah , it is against Muslims.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticized the violent protests, But protests, especially in Uttar Pradesh , is home to More Than 40 million Muslims, have continued.

The State 's Chief Minister , Yogi Adityanath , has said that "revenge" will be taken against those who destroyed public property. "Your property will be confiscated, to Make Up for the loss of public assets," he said.

The Police followed his command and identifies wanted "people to be Muslims", mostly, and hang your posters in the whole of Kanpur.

There is fear in the community has failed. In Babupurwa, I several women said that their sons, Some have decided that, as a boy of 10, and The Men to flee in different cities, because of fear of arrest and torture. met

this fear was reinforced by the existence of The National register of citizens (NRC).

Yogi Adityanath has said that his government will prove the cost for damaged public property "requires The NRC people, that they explained to the citizens of India," Nassiruddin, a politician and Muslim community leader in Kanpur, you. To prove "only imagine, if a Hindu family and a Muslim family, both fail to State citizenship, the former can claim the CAA to citizenship, But the latter stripped of the citizenship. "

The government says it has no plans to the NRC at any time quickly, But the community still fears that do not produce, you may be able to provide the necessary documents to prove their nationality. Nassiruddin adds Muslims in The State are also scared because they did not trust the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Police in Kanpur posters of "wanted persons" on walls are stuck "What is our fault? We are a democracy and we have every right to protest against something we don't agree with. But our protector has become predator. Where should we go now?" a woman who do not want to be identified says.

As I tracks went in a different riding, the scenes were similar - Very few men and boys, But groups of women are crowded - almost As If they were waiting for someone to ask you A Question .

"Police officers arrived in our area in The Night and told us that they would arrest all The Men . You asked us to identify those who had protested," a woman who wants to be called, the volunteers.

The Fear in the Muslim community was further fueled on by Yogi Adityanath previous anti-Muslim statements, including standing up for an accused Muslim men, and comparison of Bollywood Star Shah Rukh Khan.

riots control Police have been deployed in many areas of The State , Many believe that the Chief Minister is only following Mr modes, the idea of "muscular Hindu nationalism".

"Uttar Pradesh has said, the ideology, the most important laboratory", Nassiruddin.

thousands of mainly Muslim men, were arrested across The State and internet services were suspended for days. Many prominent activists, including a former top Police officer, were arrested.

The Police also accused them of intimidating Muslims. Video footage from Kanpur shows Police allegedly vandalising cars and houses in the Muslim-populated areas in The Dead of night. My colleagues reported claims of similar incidents from other parts of The State .

Some of the minors say they were beaten, in the custody of India, correspondent Yogita Limaye had told The Police , allegedly, had ravaged the Muslims of the apartments in several locations in Muzaffarnagar, Some 580km (360 miles) from Kanpur. In a house, supposedly destroyed Everything - including TV, refrigerator and kitchen utensils.

"I met men and boys, said they were arrested and beaten by Police ," She Said .

The home of a Muslim family was allegedly from The Police , the Bbc Hindi destroyed in Muzaffarnagar is Zubair Ahmed also allegations of Police Brutality in Meerut and Bijnor, reported the cities in Western Uttar Pradesh .

at least eight people died of gunshot wounds in these areas. Their families said they were shot by The Police , although The Police deny these allegations.

A pattern, when you hear these Stories of imprisonment, followed by vandalism to cars and ransacking of houses in Muslim-populated areas in The Night .

rode But The State 's top Police officer responsible for law and order denied the accusations.

PV Ramasastry told the Bbc that those responsible be arrested for damage to public property, and identified on the basis of the "digital Evidence ".

Locals in Kanpur, The Police say vandalized cars When I asked him why The Police action against the demonstrators is based on videos, But not against your own officers, he said, everyone is "to make free accusations".

He also denies that The Police vandalised the property. When I showed him the footage of the alleged incidents, Mr Ramasastry says "just a video randomly posted somewhere completely by yourself".

"there's the freezing of the Position and the context. A definitive answer cannot be offered, based on a specific video," he adds.

He also denies The Police were involved in each of The State , the 19 the protest deaths, saying investigations were "ongoing".

, But a social activist Sumaiya Rana said that The Police need to be held accountable.

Police cars were also set On Fire during the protests "violence is The Answer , But that's true for both sides. The Police should take action against those who indulged in violence, But is shooting at demonstrators, the only way?", She Said .

"So many people died, we demand that a fair investigation should take place. "

I spoke to The Police officers on the ground and Some of them said they were under strong pressure. One who asked not to be named, told me that they were ordered to control "the protests at any price".

"We had to baton charge and use tear-gas rifles. It is not easy, the use of force against Our Own citizens. But you have to realize that The Police officers are just caught in The Middle ," he said.

in the Meantime, the Political Parties have blamed each other for the protests.

the government of The State party, BJP said that the protests will turn violent because "young Muslim people were misled by the opposition parties".

"We get law and order in The State , well, since we came to power Three years ago. But This Time , violence happens because of the policy. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj party, people have been confused about the CAA. They planned and instigated these protests," Swatantra Dev Singh, the BJP State chief, said the Bbc .

Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh accused the opposition for the violence, "The CAA is against Muslims or against any other religion. Our government works for all, Without discrimination of any caste or religion. We welcome criticism, But no one the damage to public property is allowed," he said.

But those who died were mostly Muslims.

Mr Singh says, every death is sad, But the opposition parties are responsible for what is happening in The State .

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Source of news: bbc.com