At least six protesters have been killed in violence that erupted across in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh over the Citizenship Amendment Act on Friday, the state police have confirmed.
However, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh claimed that none of the deaths had occurred due to police firing. "We did not fire even a single bullet," he was quoted by NDTV as saying.
According to information provided by the police, two protesters were killed in Bijnor while one each died in Sambhal, Firozabad, Meerut and Kanpur. "We did not shoot at anybody. If any firing has happened, it was from the protesters' side," another officer told NDTV.
The protests had erupted across 13 districts of the state after the Friday prayers, with thousands defying statewide prohibitory orders to voice their opposition to the amended citizenship law on the streets. Faced with large crowds and stone-pelting protesters, police launched a lathi-charge and used tear gas to try and control the situation.
According to NDTV, the violence came despite strict security measures enforced ahead of Friday prayers.
The Citizenship Amendment Act aims to make it easier for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan to become Indian nationals.
While protesters in the Northeast claim that it will nullify the Assam Accord of 1985 and open the floodgates for illegal migrants into the region, those in other parts of the country term it as a "discriminatory" and "unconstitutional" law that seeks to undermine India's secular credentials.
A protester had died in violence that broke out in Lucknow amid a nationwide agitation against the controversial law on Thursday (Dec 19).
"We have got some evidence that indicate the hand of outsiders. We are investigating them.
Mobile phones and call details of those identified are being checked," OP Singh had said earlier, claiming that the "trouble-makers" had come from places like Barabanki and Bahraich.
