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Several Uttar Pradesh Districts on High Alert Ahead of US President's Visit to State

New Delhi (Sputnik): On Sunday, incidents of vandalism, arson and stone-throwing were reported in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, a few hours away from Agra, which Donald Trump is set to visit on Monday. The police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse a crowd protesting against the Citizenship Law.
Sputnik

Senior Police official on Sunday night issued a high alert in several Muslim majority districts in Uttar Pradesh after there was a clash reported between police and the protesters campaigning against the controversial Citizenship Law (CAA) in Aligarh.

Districts including Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur and others were put on high alert. 

District personnel have been asked to be on their toes ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit on Monday to avoid any public disorder, the official said.

“Police forces have been deployed at all sensitive places in the state. Along with this every suspicious activity is being monitored. A close watch is kept on the protesters as we do not want law and order situation to go out of hand. If any unwanted situation occurs then the chief police official of the district shall be held responsible for that,” said a senior police official of the state.

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump arrived in India for a two-day visit on Monday. The couple will be soon visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra. The ancient monument has been a major attraction for world leaders over the years. 

India has witnessed anti-Citizenship law protests for the past few months. The protests have been largely by Muslims who view this law as discriminating against members of their community. 

The law, which was passed by the Indian parliament, allows illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to acquire Indian citizenship if they belong to the Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian, and Parsi communities. Muslims are excluded from the law.

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