Sporadic violence mars anti-CAA bandh in Vid

Yavatmal/Akola/Chandrapur/Washim: Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from a few districts of Vidarbha during the daylong bandh called to protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), on Wednesday. A trader couple in Yavatmal opposed the bandh, and threw chilli powder at the youths who tried to force them to shut shop.
Thousands of protesters marched on the streets in different cities to oppose the CAA. Incidents of stone-pelting were reported from a few places in Akola, Washim and Yavatmal districts. Police had to resort to lathicharge to bring situation under control.
In Yavatmal, Pro-bandh activists were seen moving in the city forcing traders to close their shops. Most of the traders succumbed to the pressure and pulled down their shutters. When a trader Kishor Poddar and his wife refused to shut their shop saying they support the CAA, a group of protesters barged into their shop and tried to ransack it. The shopkeeper couple used chilli powder to thwart the bid to down the shutters.
Later, police had to use mild force at two places to disperse protesters who were raising anti-CAA/NRC slogans. Some minor altercation took place when a group opposing the bandh objected to the protesters ‘forcing’ traders to shut their establishments. Police had detained 40 women and over 20 others.
Police also reported to cane charge at Marwadi Chowk and Nehru Chowk in the city to disperse unruly protesters.
In Akola district, protesters indulged in stone-pelting at Patur and Balapur. A few buses were damaged at Balapur. Hundreds of protesters, carrying anti-CAA/NRC placards had gathered in front of Patur police station and raised slogans. After some anti-socials indulged in stone-pelting, the police used force to bring the situation under control.
In Chandrapur, the bandh evoked mixed response. Traders’ union here had opposed the bandh and approached district collector and superintendent of police seeking protection. No untoward incident took place during the day and bandh remained peaceful.
Protesters went around in groups during the morning hours and closed down shops that had opened. Shops and other establishments, however, opened again later in the day. Many traders refused to close down their shops and stuck stickers claiming that they stand in support of the government decision on CAA.
A delegation of Chandrapur Vyapari Mandal members met collector and SP to apprise them of the difficulties faced by the people and traders due to frequent bandh calls. They told the officials that traders in the city had to close down their shops nearly 20 times in 2019 following such bandh calls, affecting their businesses.
A large number of protesters, gathered at Jatpura Gate and Ambedkar Chowk, raised slogans against the central government and the “black law”.