Delhi brought to standstill over CAA; Protest fire rages across country, turns violent in Lucknow, Mangaluru

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Massive demonstrations rocked major cities across the country as protestors hit the streets to vent their anger against the Citizenship Amendment Act, affecting internet and causing traffic disruptions. Authorities in major centres of protest, including Delhi, Bengaluru, the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among others, clamped down on demonstrators, with Section 144 imposed in several cities. In Lucknow, protesters turned unruly and set a police station on fire. Protesters also torched a television channel's OB Van at the Parivartan Chowk. Mumbai's Agust Kranti Maidan also saw huge protest as more than lakh gathered on what was a working day. In Bengaluru, police detained historian Ramchandra Guha while writer Arundhati Roy lamented on the police force against students. Yogendra Yadav was detained and later released in the evening in the national capital. Delhi was the worst hit as protest caused mobile services blockade and metro stations shutdown, Long snarls were seen on the street. 

By Thursday evening, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for a United Nations referendum on National Register for Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Rahul Gandhi later called suspension of phone services in the national capital as "attack on the soul of democracy". 

Protests broke out in several parts of the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Here are the major trouble spots from across country. 

DELHI: Internet, mobile services banned; traffic worst hit 

Red Fort - Scores of protestors were dragged into buses by police in a bid to clear the area where Section 144 of the CrPC was imposed which restricts gathering of more than four people. Swaraj Abhiyan President Yogendra Yadav and student leader Umar Khalid among those detained.

Mandi House - Left leaders, including Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Nilotpal Basu and Brinda Karat, detained.

Jantar Mantar - Hundreds of flag-waving students and activists converged after protesters were evicted from Mandi House and Red Fort.  However, protests re-commenced at Jantar Mantar as activists, including Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, gathered at the venue towards the evening.

UTTAR PRADESH: Lucknow burns, Yogi talks tough

Lucknow - Protesters pelted stones and torched vehicles parked outside a police post. The police fired teargas shells to control the situation in Madeyganj area. About 20 people have been taken into custody.

Sambhal - A public bus was set ablaze and another damaged. Some protesters pelted stones at a police station. Internet services suspended.

Gorakhpur - Hundreds of Samajwadi Party workers protesting the Act were taken into police custody in Gorakhpur.

UP: CM Yogi calls for confiscation of properties of vandalisers

Later in the evening, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, in a bid to control the swelling protests, warned that anyone caught vandalising public property would risk confiscation of their properties. The stern warning from the CM came as protestors clashed with the police in major centres of the state. The CAA is a sensitive subject in the country’s most populous state, which has a sizable Muslim population.

BIHAR: Statewide bandh hits rail and road traffic

A state-wide bandh was called across Bihar by left-wing outfits, angry at the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act. Train services were hit hard as activists squatted on the tracks at several places.

Patna - Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) workers vandalised buses and cars, burnt tyres on roads to obstruct movement of vehicles and squatted on railway tracks.

Activists belonging to pro-Left student bodies such as AISF and AISA stormed the Rajendra Nagar Terminus and squatted on tracks disrupting movement of trains for about half an hour.

Jehanabad - CPI(ML) activists staged a roadblock on Kako More, disrupting traffic on national highways NH 110 and 83.

WEST BENGAL: CM Mamata leads anti-CAA movement; calls for UN referendum

The protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act were led by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has called for a UN referendum on the CAA and the NRC. 

Kolkata - Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a rally in Kolkata's Rani Rashmoni Avenue.

KARNATAKA: Protestors defy Section 144 in a major show of defiance; protests in Mangaluru, Ballary, Mysuru and other towns

Protestors defied the curfew imposed by authorities on Wednesday evening, as they marched in huge numbers on the city streets to protest the Citizenship Law. Prominent members of the civil society, including historian-author Ramchandra Guha, were detained as preventive measure.

Bengaluru – Scores of protestors were detained by police. The protests remained largely peaceful.

Mangaluru -- Protests turned violent with demonstrators hurling stones at police personnel leading to lathi-charge.

GUJARAT: Lacklustre protests in PM and HM’s home state

Ahmedabad - Police baton-charged some people who gathered in Sardar Baug area.

MAHARASHTRA: Hundreds gather for anti-CAA protest; Shiv Sena stays away

Hundreds, including college students, political and social activists, senior citizens and others, started assembling at the historic August Kranti Maidan in south Mumbai for protest against the CAA and NRC. The ruling Shiv Sena, notably, stayed away from the protests.

Mumbai - Political party workers and students demonstrated at the historic August Kranti Maidan. The protests were led by students from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). 

Similar protests were organised in Nagpur and Pune. In Pune, members of BJP-affiliated students'outfit took out a march in support of the CAA.

TELANGANA: Scores of protestors detained, many in Old City 

Scores of protesters including students were taken into preventive custody in different parts of the city on Thursday when they were planning to hold protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, police said. They were secured as there was no permission to hold any form of protest including rallies and processions, police added. Those detained include over 50 students of the University of Hyderabad.