Lucknow: How the rigid Clock Tower stir deadlock was broken

LUCKNOW: It was after a three-day concerted effort of the UP government machinery, closely monitored by chief minister Yogi Adityanath that the agitation against the citizenship amendment Act (CAA), continuing for the past 66 days at the Clock Tower in the Old City area, was called off.
"It was at 3.50am when police commissioner Sujit Pandey briefed the chief minister from the spot that the operation was successful and protesters had peacefully withdrawn, giving a written undertaking to the effect.The CM thereafter retired to his bedroom", said a senior officer, who along with chief secretary RK Tewari, additional chief secretary home, Awanish Awasthi and DGP Hitesh Awasthi, was present in the crucial hours when the police were struggling with the women staging a sit-in against the CAA and NRC)
As soon as there were reports of the coronavirus infection spreading to more states and cities four days ago, the chief minister had instructed the police commissioner to clear the Clock Tower even if some force was required. With UP being the most populated state of the country, and contiguous to half-a-dozen states including Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and having international borders with Nepal, it was a major challenge for the CM.
The police commissioner held a late-night meeting in his office with trusted ACPs on the CM's directive. Even the PAC and paramilitary forces were alerted.
As a last bid, the police commissioner met the CM at his official residence late on March 16-17 night, seeking more time to avoid "use of force". "The CM was concerned that the agitating women and girls should not be hit by the virus and that they should be convinced to return home for now", the officer told TOI.
Yogi was in Gorakhpur since March 21 and as he left for Lucknow on his state plane on Sunday evening, he had briefed his core team about his concern over the safety of the anti-CAA protesters. As soon as the CM landed in Lucknow, he addressed a video conferencing (VC) for the 16 districts under lockdown to further gear up to face the new stringent measures.
Thereafter, Yogi held a meeting with chief secretary RK Tewari, additional chief secretary home, Awanish Awasthi, DGP Hitesh Awasthi and principal secretary health Amit Mohan Prasad, while taking regular feedback from the spot from the police commissioner, who was trying to convince the female protesters since 9.30pm. The police commissioner finally managed to get a written undertaking from the protesters, bringing an end to the agitation continuing for over 66 days.
Along with his core team of senior officers who were with him at his residence, the CM was continuously interacting with top police officers at the spot till operation clean-up was effected without any use of force.
The "Sangharsh Samiti" of anti-CAA protesters has promised to support the Yogi government at this crucial hour of the outbreak of the viral disease, but they would soon return to the place after normalcy returns.