Lucknow, December 17: With unrest prevailing over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), schools and colleges in Mau district of Uttar Pradesh have been asked to remain closed till further orders. The educational institutes, based in the region, have declared holidays on direction of the District Magistrate. The measure is aimed at preventing students from being affected by the ongoing protests against the citizenship law. Delhi: Police Picket in Seelampur Burnt Down as Anti-CAA Protests Turn Violent, BJP Demands 'Severe Crackdown'.

The Mau region, where Muslim population forms the bulk, has remained on edge since last week when the law to naturalise non-Muslim refugees was passed in the Parliament. The CAA, along with the nationwide National Register of Citizenship (NRC) exercise, is being seen by Muslim groups as a "ploy" of the Narendra Modi government to turn the Indian Muslims "stateless".

Update by ANI

Clashes were reported in Mau district on Monday between the police personnel and protesters who had taken to the streets to oppose the citizenship law. The riot control squad of the police department was deployed in the region to prevent violence.

The protests in Mau escalated on Sunday, after a "brutal police crackdown" was launched against students of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Reports of vandalism and clashes had also emerged from the region, which is considered to be communally sensitive.

The Uttar Pradesh police has appealed all sections of the society to maintain peace and exercise restraint. The protesters have been urged to organise peaceful demonstrations. In connection to the violence which had erupted in Mau yesterday, the police has detained 28 persons, said Praveen Kumar, IG Law & Order.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2019 06:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).