Union minister of state Sanjeev Balyan on Friday called for a probe into the alleged involvement of children in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest that turned violent last week, claiming 23 lives across the state.
Balyan, who is also the Lok Sabha member from Muzaffarnagar, said in an exclusive chat,
“I am told some children were also involved in the violence. This is shocking.”
He added, “Ladakh MP (Jamyang Tsering Namgyal) called me a few days ago and said a Kargil boy was also involved in violence and detained by the police in Muzaffarnagar. He was studying in a madarsa here.”
The union minister said, “Peaceful protest is fine but who involved innocent children in stone-pelting and violence? I am told children; youths were pelting cops with stones. Some madarsa children are arrested. This is not good for the coming generation.”
The minister added, “Deoband is adjacent, I am only asking for a through probe. I don’t want to link anything with anyone, but a probe should be done.”
On being asked about rights violation as many parents have been claiming while alleging detention of minors, he said, “If there is any atrocity, that should be condemned but again the question is who involved kids in the violent protest.”
Meanwhile, additional superintendent of police (City), Muzaffarnagar, Satpal said, “We are investigating these cases from all aspects. We have arrested a madarsa student Mohammad Ali, who is a native of Kargil.”
INVOLVING CHILDREN IN VIOLENT PROTEST IS VIOLATION OF THEIR RIGHTS, SAYS UPCPCR
Amid reports of alleged detention of children in several districts and their alleged involvement in the anti-CAA violence, the Uttar Pradesh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UPCPR) has issued notices to some district magistrates about the involvement of children in the protest.
Commission chairman Vishesh Gupta said, “I have come across several complaints regarding involvement of children in the protest hat turned violent. The panel has sent a notice, seeking a report whether who involved these children in the protest because this is sheer violation of the Juvenile Justice Act.”
Gupta added, “Children should not be made part of such activities. If someone is doing it, he or she or the said organization should be penalized and we are working towards that.”
On being asked about the alleged police excesses on children, he said, “We are considering this side of the story too. Let the report come.”
Meanwhile, Sachin Vashishth, a child rights activist, said, “Children were detained. If the police theory is true and no atrocity was done on them, detention of children is not less than any harassment.”
Some children in west UP districts alleged they were beaten by police during the protest. “Police beat us, for no fault,” said two madarsa children of Muzaffarnagar, adding, “We were coming out of the masjid when they assaulted us.”
In Sambhal and Bijnor, many parents and children have accused the police of harassing them. However, the police denied all the claims.
Prasanta Patnaik