Section 144 Imposed In Lucknow Ahead Of Republic Day

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in Lucknow in view of Republic Day and the Defence Expo and most importantly, the ongoing protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The move to impose the prohibitory orders was taken by Police Commissioner Sujeet Pandey late Saturday night, who said that it had been done to maintain law and order in the coming weeks. The ongoing protest against the citizenship laws at the Clock Tower in Lucknow, on the lines of New Delhi's Shaheen Bagh protest, has gathered momentum and despite efforts by the police, the women have refused to budge from the site.

The women, most of them elderly, have claimed that the policemen snatched their blankets and poured water on the bonfire that they lit to keep themselves warm. Rubia, 72, sitting with a blanket wrapped around her, said: "We are not causing any disturbance to either the Republic Day parade or the Defence Expo. We will not budge an inch from here till CAA and NRC is withdrawn. My parents and grandparents were born in India and they did not leave any papers for us to show to the government. We have assembled with our children and it is our fight for our rights."