NEW DELHI, Feb 26 (NNN-XINHUA) – Indian police, on Tuesday evening (last night), issued shoot-on-sight orders in the affected areas in New Delhi, as communal violence over the controversial citizenship law intensifies.
“Police deployment was made in affected areas and order of shoot on sight have been issued, to calm tempers,” a local government official said.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the violence has risen to 13. Over 180 people were injured in the violence.
A ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) official, wrote on twitter that, shoot on sight orders have been issued.
Clashes broke out between pro- and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) groups, in the northeastern part of the city on Sunday, and took an ugly turn on Monday.
Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, in his third appeal, asked people to maintain peace and stop the “madness.”
“Everyone received injuries whether it is Hindus, Muslims or police personnel. No one will benefit from it and this madness must stop,” Kejriwal told reporters.
Protests against the controversial new citizenship law broke out in Dec last year, after India’s upper house of parliament passed the law.
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 kept out Muslim immigrants from applying for citizenship.
Opposition parties and civil society members criticise the law as contrary to secular principles, enshrined in India’s constitution, as it excludes Muslims.– NNN-XINHUA
