Buses torched as protesters clash with police in Delhi over citizenship law

india

Updated: Aug 06, 2020 01:43 IST

Buses were torched, cars and bikes smashed as anti-citizenship law protesters clashed with police at New Friends Colony in south Delhi on Sunday. The Delhi police in response fired tear-gas shells at the agitating crowd.

Delhi Traffic Police tweeted that movement of vehicles was closed from Okhla Underpass to Sarita Vihar due to the demonstration by students. Students could be seen appealing to the mob not to damage cars or burn buses when a group of local people engaged in violence. Journalists too were roughed up.

Students during the protest march against citizenship law at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. ( Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo )

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to protesters to remain calm. “No one should indulge in violence. Any kind of violence is unacceptable. Protests should remain peaceful,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

WATCH | Delhi: Bus torched as anti-Citizenship law protest turns violent

The amended Act grants citizenship to undocumented non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan who fled religious persecution and returned to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Assam has been witnessing protests over the new Act as people believe it runs counter to clause 6 of the Assam Accord and fear that the state will be flooded with migrants posing a threat to their language, culture and identity.

Earlier today, the West Bengal government suspended Internet services in some districts of the state as a precautionary measure as protests against the citizenship law continued for the third straight day in the state.

“The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has closed the entry and exit gates of Sukhdev Vihar and gate no. 3 of Ashram has been shut. Trains will not be halting at Sukhdev Vihar,” the DMRC said in a tweet on Sunday evening.

The entry and exit gates of Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla Vihar, Jasola Vihar and Shaheen Bagh have also been closed. Metro trains will not be halting at these stations, the DMRC said.

Gates of GTB Nagar, Shivaji Stadium, Patel Chowk, Vishwavidyalaya, Vasant Vihar, Munirka and R K Puram Metro stations have been closed.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has said all schools in southeast Delhi will remain closed on Monday, after violent protests near Jamia Millia Islamia university on Sunday.