Protesters set vehicles on fire during a protest over controversial new citizenship law in New Delhi
NEW DELHI, Feb 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — A policeman and a civilian were killed during violent clashes over controversial citizenship law in the Indian capital city Delhi, police said.
The head constable was killed in the clashes that broke out between pro- and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) groups in the northeastern part of the city.
“The violence escalated today and massive stone-pelting broke out between the two groups. Policemen trying to contain the situation,” a police official not authorized to talk to media said. “Unfortunately a policeman of the rank of head constable was killed in the violence.”
According to the police official, they were trying to ascertain the details that led to the killing of the policeman and the civilian.
Reports said the protesters have resorted to arson in Jaffrabad and Maujpur areas.
Clashes in the area started on Sunday and several policemen were injured.
Protests against the controversial new citizenship law erupted on Dec 11 last year, the day India’s upper house of parliament passed the law. Since then there has been no let-up in the protests.
The law aims at granting citizenship to illegal immigrants belonging to six religions – Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Parsi and Christianity – from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, it has kept out Muslim immigrants from applying for citizenship.
Opposition parties and civil society members in India criticize the law as contrary to secular principles enshrined in India’s constitution as it excludes Muslims.
So far, the violence against the law has killed over 30 people across India.
Until now five Indian states and one federal territory have passed resolutions in their respective lawmaking bodies against the controversial law.
Over 140 petitions challenging the new citizenship law have been filed to the country’s Supreme Court. — NNN-XINHUA
