No Internet In Lucknow, 20 More Districts In UP Over Citizenship Law Protests

Nearly a third of Uttar Pradesh is without internet following violent protests over the new citizenship law in the past few days. Internet has been snapped in a third of Uttar Pradesh 21 of 75 districts in UP, according to the state police chief. "The Law and order situation is absolutely under control, we continue to have strategic deployment of forces. We have suspended internet services in 21 districts, they will be restored as and when the situation demands," said OP Singh, the Director General of Police, on Friday.

The administration said the steps were taken also because of concerns about fresh violence against the Citizenship Amendment Act erupting after Friday prayers.

Internet had earlier been suspended in Bijnor, Bulandshahar, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Agra, Firozabad, Sambhal, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Rampur, Sitapur and Kanpur. Services have also been suspended in state capital Lucknow where clashes between the police and protesters took place last week.

In Agra, home to the Taj Mahal that draws millions of tourists each year, Internet services will be suspended from 8 am to 6 pm on Friday.

"We are also monitoring content on social media," news agency ANI quoted senior police officer PV Ramasastry as saying.

Violence broke out in many parts of the state between December 19 and 21, leaving 21 dead. Many of the bodies bore gunshot wounds though the police denied firing at protesters with anything other than plastic pellets and rubber bullets. The police have admitted to firing only at Bijnore, where a 20-year-old civil services aspirant was killed.

In an attempt to defend themselves amid allegations of using disproportionate force, the state police recently released a series of photographs and videos showing two men firing at cops during protests against the controversial law.