Section 144 imposed in Madhya Pradesh due to protests against Citizenship Amendment Act

Bhopal: Keeping in view the ongoing protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), internet services have been restricted in various districts of Madhya Pradesh including Bhopal.
In a bid to prevent any untoward incident, the Congress-ruled state, which is opposing the CAA, has imposed Section 144 in 47 districts out of 52, including state capital, for two month, till February 18, as reports of the protests spreading poured in.
There is also a ban on assembly of four or more persons and posting objectionable content on social media. Prohibitory orders were issued on the day protesters scuffled with the police in Khandwa and silent protests were held in many cities.
With reports of more protests being planned in the days ahead, the administration clamped down on Thursday evening, media reports said.
“In the wake of prevailing circumstances, Section 144 of CrPC is imposed in the district. There is a complete ban on posting of any objectionable message, picture or video on social media platforms. Any comment derogatory to any religion, community or intended to fan communal passions or any video or picture posted with this intention has also been banned. Any call for agitation or demonstration through social media platforms will also remain banned,” the order said.
A day before imposition of Section 144, a massive rally was held in Bhopal’s Iqbal Maidan against the new Act where senior Congress leader and former CM Digvijaya Singh, Congress MLA Arif Masood and poet Imran Pratapgarhi addressed the rally.
In Khandwa, a section of the protesters allegedly pelted stones on police personnel when they were returning from ‘Save the Constitution protest’ while raising slogans against CAA and NRC.
Since the Section 144 has been imposed in the communally-sensitive district, the police said it tried to stop them from proceeding, claiming that the irked agitators started pelting stones at them. In order to control the situation, police said it had to wield batons.
The incident took place at Imlipura and Bada Bam area of the town. Nevertheless, the situation was in control once senior police officials reached the spot.
Meanwhile, the Bhopal police have booked around 150 persons for violating Section 144. The people had gathered at the historic Iqbal Maidan to register their protest against CAA and NRC.
Police claimed that people from different areas had gathered without any information.
The Talaiya police has begun identifying the protesters through video footage and has started booking them under Section 188. City Superintendent of police, Kotwali Bittu Sharma, said, “The gathering was not of locals. They belong to different areas and that is why we failed to stop the assembly.”