The death toll from clashes in the northeast part of the Indian capital of New Delhi, which broke out between the supporters and opponents of the citizenship law amendments, has risen to 46, Indian media reported on Monday
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd March, 2020) The death toll from clashes in the northeast part of the Indian capital of New Delhi, which broke out between the supporters and opponents of the citizenship law amendments, has risen to 46, Indian media reported on Monday.
The unrest erupted in late February. Following the deadly incidents, the New Delhi authorities imposed a curfew in the riot-affected areas and urged the national government to send in troops to restore peace. Earlier reports indicated that 42 people had been killed and at least 300 others were injured.
Meanwhile, according to the India Today news outlet, the authorities refuted claims that new clashes had broken out in the west of the capital.
"I reached at the site as soon as I heard of the rumour of riots, shops were shut people were in a state of panic but no one saw any riots happening. It was a conspiracy to spread rumours and spoil the atmosphere. I appeal to people to maintain peace and brotherhood and do not believe the rumours," Jarnail Singh, a parliament member for the Tilak Nagar constituency, was quoted as saying by the media outlet.
Following the Indian national parliament's December announcement of passing a bill amending the 1955 citizenship law, the country plunged into ongoing violent protests. The revised document envisions fast-tracking citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who had fled from neighboring Muslim countries before December 2014. However, given that Muslims themselves were not covered by the law, it triggered a strong backlash among the Indian Muslim community members who said that the amendments violated the constitution by oppressing a group of citizens in a formally secular country on religious grounds.
