Mumbai: The Uttar Pradesh government will recover damages caused to public and private properties from the protesters agitating against the Agnipath scheme, said police on Monday. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said here, “Recoveries will be made from those found involved in the violence.”
After the announcement of the new recruitment scheme by the Center, during the protests in 14 districts from Friday, youths damaged trains, buses and vehicles at many places and set them on fire. Police said that many private and government properties were also damaged in stone-pelting. The police have so far registered 49 FIRs and arrested 525 people, out of which 145 have been booked for disturbing the peace.
Police sources said they initially took a “lenient” approach towards the Agneepath protesters. A senior police officer said, “The strategy was changed after anti-social and political elements were involved in the protest. We had to take strict steps by registering an FIR and arresting the culprits.”
In the wake of the anti-CAA protests, the UP government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had brought a law in 2020, giving a tribunal with broad powers, including collecting compensation unilaterally when required, that is without speaking personally. Further, the law placed the burden of proving the absence of any “nexus” linked to the protest, during which damage to public or private property was caused, on the individual facing charges.
After protests over remarks made by now-suspended BJP leaders against Prophet in Kanpur and Prayagraj on June 3 and 10, the UP government had also decided to recover damages for destruction of property from the accused.
Earlier in the day, police had made elaborate security arrangements for the bandh called by a group of unidentified people on social media. In addition to the civilian police, 141 companies of the Provincial Armed Police Forces (PACs) and 10 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) were deployed in “vulnerable districts”.
Meanwhile, the District Police Chiefs have been directed by the Chief Minister to inform the young candidates about the new recruitment scheme with the help of Sainik Welfare Board and Ex-Servicemen so that their doubts can be cleared.
The police have also been asked to take the help of directors of coaching institutes, which provide training to youth aspiring to join the army, to convince the candidates about the new recruitment scheme.
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