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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 18 december 2019

Protests of India's citizenship law grow, along with clashes

By EMILY SCHMALL Congress party chief Sonia
SHEIKH SAALIQ Gandhi met President Ram
Associated Press Nath Kovind as the head of
NEW DELHI (AP) — Protests an opposition delegation
spread Tuesday across In- and asked that the citizen-
dia against a new law that ship law be withdrawn.
provides a path to citizen- Talking to reporters, Gandhi
ship for non-Muslims enter- said she fears "the situation
ing illegally from several may spread further."
neighboring countries, with "I think you all have seen
angry demonstrators clash- that the Modi government
ing with police. seems to have no com-
Police fired tear gas in the passion when it comes to
Seelampur area of New shutting down people's
Delhi to push back demon- voices and implementing
strators who burned a po- legislation," she said. Crit-
lice booth and two motor- ics of the government say
bikes after throwing stones the law is intended to help
and swarming barricades. the ruling party transform
Roads leading to the Mus- a multicultural and secular
lim-majority neighborhood India into a Hindu "rastra,"
were littered with stones, or distinctly Hindu state and
tear gas canisters and bro- Policemen fire teargas shells during a protest against a new citizenship law at the Seelampur area further marginalize India's
ken glass. of New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. 200 million Muslims, one of
"We are protesting against Associated Press the largest Muslim popula-
the new citizenship law. tions of any country in the
They are saying if you don't cate the protest was non- pushed him against a tree humanitarian gesture. world."
have any proof (of citizen- violent. and beat him with sticks, he While it was being debated India is 80% Hindu and 14%
ship) … they will send us out "The police made all 15 said. in Parliament, Home Min- Muslim, which means it has
of India," said 15-year-old of us kneel and started Police spokesman Sunil ister Amit Shah said it was one of the largest Muslim
Mohammad Shehzad. beating us. They used lots Bainsla denied the ac- "not even .001% against mi- populations of any country
Protests also were reported of abusive words. One of count, calling allegations norities. It is against infiltra- in the world.
in the states of West Ben- them removed my prescrip- of police brutality "lies." tors." Modi told an election Police spokesman M.S.
gal, Kerala, Karnataka and tion glasses, threw (them) The police response to the rally in eastern Jharkhand Randhawa said 10 people
elsewhere of the law, which on the ground, broke them protests has drawn wide- state that no Indian citizen were arrested at Sunday's
was passed in Parliament and told me to look down," spread condemnation. It would be affected by the protest at Jamia Millia Isla-
last week. On Sunday, a Mojibi said through tears at also has sparked a broader law. Speaking about Sun- mia University from nearby
march by students at New a news conference. movement against the Citi- day's protests, he accused Jamia Nagar, a Muslim
Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia Also on Sunday, police zenship Amendment Act, the opposition Congress neighborhood.
University descended into stormed Aligarh Muslim Uni- with demonstrations erupt- party of using students for "We found out that the ar-
chaos when demonstrators versity in the north Indian ing across the country. political purposes. rested men had instigated
set three buses ablaze. Po- state of Uttar Pradesh, firing The new law applies to Hin- "The decisions made by the crowds and were also
lice responded with rubber tear gas and injuring five dus, Christians and other the government should be responsible for vandalizing
bullets and tear gas. Video people participating in a religious minorities who are discussed and any voice public property," Randha-
showed officers chasing student-led demonstration, in India illegally but can should be raised in a dem- wa said.
unarmed protesters and university spokesman Ra- demonstrate religious per- ocratic manner. This gov- Students said police lobbed
beating them with sticks. hat Abrar said. secution in Muslim-majority ernment understands your tear gas inside the campus,
Hanjala Mojibi, an English Shahid Hussain, a 25-year- Bangladesh, Pakistan and concerns but some people broke down the doors of
major at the predominant- old history major, said po- Afghanistan. It does not use your shoulder for firing a the library and yanked stu-
ly Muslim school, said that lice broke windows in his apply to Muslims. gun," he said. "I dare Con- dents out to assault them.
when he and others saw dormitory and lobbed a Prime Minister Narendra gress, its friends, to publicly Dozens of students were
police enter the campus, tear gas canister inside. Af- Modi's ruling Hindu nation- declare they are prepared treated at hospitals.
they walked toward them ter fleeing the building to alist Bharatiya Janata Party to accord Indian citizen- Police said they acted with
with their hands up to indi- escape the fumes, police has described the law as a ship to all Pakistanis." restraint. q