Four people died Thursday in a reported gunshots from police during violent protests against India’s Uttarakhand state government’s demolition drive of alleged illegal encroachments, according to ANI. The protests also led to the injury of more than 100 police personnel.

According to local reports, protests against the government’s demolition drive turned violent in Haldwani, a city in the Uttarakhand state of India, which led to clashes between the protesters and the security personnel. Protesters reportedly attacked the local police station, which led to many injuries among police personnel. Subsequently, the local administration passed a “shoot at sight” order, which led to the death of four protesters. A “shoot at sight” order grants permission to security forces to shoot immediately upon identifying a threat, without warning. Consequently, local officials also imposed a curfew, and shut down internet services, as well as schools and colleges, in the region.

Haldwani’s local administrator District Magistrate Vandana Singh refuted claims of provocation by the administration and denied targeting Muslim structures for demolition—a claim which triggered some of the protests. She clarified that the two structures marked for demolition were not registered as religious sites and their religious identity was uncertain. Singh also stated that one of the structures, purportedly an Islamic religious school called Madrassa, was not registered as a religious establishment as well. However, Singh alleged that the protest, as well as the attack on the local police station, was premeditated.

The former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and a leader of the opposition party of the Indian National Congress (INC) expressed remorse over the incident and added:

I am very concerned and sad looking at the situation in Haldwani. The history of Haldwani has been that of peace, harmony, brotherhood and progress. Today, we are ashamed of the situation that has arisen there. All the sides should maintain peace and try to have harmony once again. I have contacted a lot of people. The people in Haldwani are sad.

Uttarakhand, a picturesque northern state in India, has recently faced heightened tensions following the passage of the Uniform Civil Code bill (UCC) by the State Assembly. This bill aims to consolidate personal laws across religious communities into a single legislation, affecting matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. Critics argue that the UCC encroaches on minority rights and imposes Hindu laws on other religious groups, as it closely resembles Hindu personal laws.