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WORLD NEWS Monday 23 deceMber 2019

India's leader defends new law as protests against it go on

By EMILY SCHMALL gust.
Associated Press The demonstrations also fol-
NEW DELHI (AP) — Protesters low a contentious process
angered by India's new citi- in the northeastern state
zenship law that excludes of Assam meant to weed
Muslims defied a ban out foreigners living in the
against demonstrations on country illegally. Nearly 2
Sunday, as Prime Minister million people, about half
Narendra Modi used a rally Hindu and half Muslim,
for his Hindu nationalist par- were excluded from an of-
ty to defend the legislation, ficial list of citizens — called
accusing the opposition of the National Register of Cit-
pushing the country into a izens, or NRC — and have
"fear psychosis." been asked to prove their
Twenty-three people have citizenship or else be con-
been killed nationwide sidered foreign.
since the law was passed India is building a detention
in Parliament earlier this center for some of the tens
month in protests that rep- of thousands of people who
resent the first major road- the courts are expected to
block for Modi's Hindu na- ultimately determine have
tionalist agenda since his entered illegally. Modi's in-
party's landslide re-election Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata terior minister, Amit Shah,
last spring. Party in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019. has pledged to roll out the
Most of the deaths have oc- Associated Press process nationwide.q
curred in the northern state
of Uttar Pradesh, where lies of those killed in the vio- parts of the country into a
20% of the state's 200 million lence were not permitted fear psychosis."
people are Muslim. Police, to leave the airport runway, "They are trying every tac-
who deny any wrongdo- police said. tic to push me out of pow-
ing, said that among the "We will not permit them er," he said, urging protest-
15 people killed in the state because Section 144 is im- ers to desist from attacks on
was an 8-year-old boy posed in the area and it police and other violence.
who died in a stampede can make the atmosphere The new law allows Hindus,
in the city of Varanasi, the more tense," said Uttar Christians and other reli-
heart of Modi's parliamen- Pradesh's police chief, O.P. gious minorities who are in
tary constituency. Since Singh. India illegally to become
last week, police in Uttar In the southern state of citizens if they can show
Pradesh have taken nearly Tamil Nadu, about 500 Mus- they were persecuted be-
900 people into custody for lim and leftist activists pro- cause of their religion in
engaging in violence. tested, defying a ban on Muslim-majority Bangla-
Authorities across the coun- public gatherings there. desh, Pakistan and Afghan-
try have scrambled to con- Modi took the stage at a istan. It does not apply to
tain the situation, banning rally in the capital launch- Muslims.
public gatherings under ing his Bharatiya Janata Critics have slammed the
Section 144, a British co- Party's campaign for New legislation as a violation of
lonial-era law, and block- Delhi legislative assembly India's secular constitution
ing internet access. India's elections in February, and and have called it the lat-
Ministry of Information and quickly turned to the con- est effort by Modi's govern-
Broadcasting issued an ad- tentious new law. ment to marginalize the
visory Friday night asking "People who are trying to country's 200 million Mus-
broadcasters across the spread lies and fear, look lims.
country to refrain from us- at my work. If you see any Protests against the law
ing content that could in- trace of divisiveness in my come amid an ongoing
flame further violence. work, show it to the world," crackdown in Muslim-ma-
A group of politicians from he said. jority Kashmir, the restive Hi-
the opposition Trinamool Modi accused the main malayan region stripped of
Congress party who trav- opposition Congress party its semi-autonomous status
eled to Uttar Pradesh on of conspiring "to push not and demoted from a state
Sunday to meet with fami- only New Delhi but other into a federal territory in Au-