UP violence on April 2
Revealing the details of the widespread violence in Uttar Pradesh during Bharat Bandh on April 2, a senior police official claimed that anti-social elements stoked tension in the state.
"There was involvement of anti-social elements who ensured violence at a large scale," ADG Law and order Anand Kumar said.
He also said that there is information of distribution of liquor a night before the shutdown call by Dalit organisations against the alleged 'dilution' of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes act.
ADG Law and order Anand Kumar, in an interview to India TV, hinted at more such inputs coming to the fore, however, its veracity needs to be checked.
"Several complaints have come to light and we are trying to cross-check and verify those," Anand Kumar said.
"We have got information that some people distributed liquor so as to mislead people into stoking violence during the bandh call in the guise of protection of rights," the police official added.
In one of the most violent protests in recent times in India, at least 11 persons were killed and many injured in violence on Monday as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles across several states during the nationwide bandh.
Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities.
While some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from MP, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among other places.
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