A police constable was killed on Saturday in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As many as 19 people have been arrested and several others detained in connection with the killing, a senior police official said on Sunday.
Director General of Police O P Singh, in a tweet, clarified that the deceased policeman, Suresh Pratap Singh Vats, was a head constable.
Vats, 48, was killed on Saturday when protesters hurled stones at vehicles returning from the venue of a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He was hit on the head by a stone when he went to end a traffic jam caused by the protests.
"He was immediately taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries," Superintendent of Police (Ghazipur) Yashveer Singh said.
'The death of head constable Suresh Pratap Singh Vats in Ghazipur in stone pelting is extremely tragic. So far 19 accused in 3 cases have been arrested, which include 11 in the case of murder. Strict action will be taken against those involved in violence under stringent sections of law (sic),' the DGP said in a tweet.
According to SP (Ghazipur), the protesters were workers from the Rashtriya Nishad Party who were prevented by the administration and the police from going to the rally venue.
"When the prime minister had left Ghazipur, the party workers blocked traffic at various places and started pelting stones on the vehicles returning from the programme venue," he told PTI on Saturday.
The police are trying to identify other protesters through the video footage of the incident.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the dead constable and Rs 10 lakh for his parents, the state has government said.
Adityanath also directed the district magistrate and the superintendent of police to take strict action against unruly elements and arrest them immediately.
The death comes less than a month after the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr district.
He was shot dead during a mob violence over alleged cow slaughter.
The man who allegedly shot the Bulandshahr inspector was arrested last week.
Modi had addressed a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for a medical college and releasing a postal stamp on Maharaj Suheldev.
He had left for Varanasi when the violence in Ghazipur took place.
