26 dead as protests grow against India citizenship law

NEW DELHI: In the recent protest against the controversial amendment bill that excludes Muslim immigrants, over 26 protesters so far died, despite governments’ ban on internet services in many parts of the country.

The state police commissioner Pravin Kumar said that nine people, died in clashes with police in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, most of the victims were young people but denied police were responsible, he added.

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Some of them died due to bullet injuries, but these injuries are not because of police fire. The police have used only tear gas to scare away the agitating mob, he said.

Critics have slammed the legislation as a violation of India’s secular constitution and have called it the latest effort by the Modi government to marginalize the country’s 200 million Muslims. Modi has defended the law as a humanitarian gesture.

Six people were killed during clashes in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. Police said on Saturday that over 600 had been taken into custody  as part of “preventive action”.

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Police have imposed a colonial-era law banning the assembly of more than four people statewide. In New Delhi, police charged more than a dozen people with rioting in connection with violence during a protest on Friday night in the capital’s Daryaganj area.

Meanwhile, the Modi government’s ministers have said Muslims of foreign origin will not be prohibited from pursuing citizenship but will have to go through the normal process like other foreigners.

Earlier in Kuala Lumper summit, Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Muhammad had said that India is a secular state and people’s religion should not prevent them from obtaining citizenship.