Paramilitary forces, drones keep vigil in Uttar Pradesh for Friday prayers
Lucknow: Security was mounted and patrolling intensified in sensitive areas across Uttar Pradesh to ensure peace during Friday prayers in view of widespread violence by those protesting against the amended Citizenship Act which has so far claimed 19 lives.
3,500 personnel of central paramilitary forces and 12,000 jawans of the UP provincial armed constabulary (PAC) are on the job to maintain peace, UP DGP OP Singh said.
As a precautionary measure, Internet services that were resumed after nearly a week, were suspended again in Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.
In Agra, the services will remain suspended till Friday evening, a senior police official said. Internet services will be suspended in 21 of the 75 districts, the DGP said.
To avoid a repeat of last Friday's violence in Gorakhpur, police staged flag march in sensitive areas and held a meeting with peace committees in all circle and police station areas.
Paramilitary force personnel and state police force have been deployed, and drone cameras are being used to ensure security on Friday, Gorakhpur District Magistrate Vijyendra Pandiyan said.
Meanwhile, the process to confiscate the property of those involved in damaging public assets during the protests gained momentum as 372 people were served notices in different districts.
A Home Department spokesperson on Thursday put the death toll at 19 in the violence, which left 288 policemen injured, including 61 who received firearm injury. He said 327 FIRs have been registered and 5,558 preventive arrests made.
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How can govt move amendments to women law before notifying principal Act: Opposition in LS
New Delhi (PTI): Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Friday questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.
Soon after laying of parliamentary papers, K C Venugopal rose to point out a law ministry notification issued last night around 10 pm to bring into force the 2023 women's reservation law with effect from April 16, much after a bill to amend the Act was introduced and discussed in the House.
DMK's Kanimozhi also flagged the issue, wondering the logic in discussing an amendment after notifying the principal Act.
Opposition members sought a clarification from law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who was present in the Lok Sabha.
"The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in September 2023 has come into force with being published in the Gazette only at 9.55 pm last night.
"It is shocking that the government brought amendments to a Constitutional provision that was not even published in the gazette! This shows the government’s unprepared and lackadaisical approach to serious lawmaking," Venugopal later posted on X.
He said this is also yet another evidence that the treasury benches look at the Parliament as no more than a rubber stamp, not bothered about the procedures and protocol necessary for a fair legislative process.
An official has earlier explained that bringing the law into force was essential as its proposed amendment will not have come into effect without that.
The constitution amendment Bill became a law but did not become part of the Constitution as the government did not bring it into force.
If a law does not come into force, how can its proposed amendment be implemented. Hence, it was brought into force with effect from April 16, the official explained.
