Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Friday concluded a three-day visit to India during which he faced criticism from members and supporters of the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over negative coverage from the Washington Post.

The US daily, which Bezos owns, has criticized some of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's major decisions since his re-election in May, including the government ending the semi-autonomous status of the disputed Kashmir region, and the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP has drawn international criticism for the CAA, which provides a fast-track to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim, "persecuted religious minorities" from the neighboring Muslim-majority nations of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. After the act was passed by Parliament in December, violent protests broke out in cities across India.

In a recent editorial, the Washington Post called the CAA "discriminatory."

"The Washington Post editorial policy is highly biased and agenda driven," Vijay Chauthaiwale, the head of the BJP's foreign affairs department, told Reuters news agency Friday.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Shutdown in parts of India The Indian government suspended internet services and tightened security on Friday in several parts of the country, including the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The government is expecting another wave of violent protests against the controversial new Citizenship Amendment Act, which was enacted on December 11.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Defending India's secular constitution The new law gives Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christian and Parsi immigrants from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan a path toward fast-track citizenship. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and that the award of citizenship based on religion violates India's secular constitution.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Fears of citizenship registration The Indian government is also preparing plans for a National Register of Citizens (NRC), in what it says is an attempt to identify and expel undocumented illegal immigrants. If a nationwide NRC is implemented, critics fear that residents unable to prove citizenship would be turned stateless. A similar exercise in Assam state has already excluded nearly 2 million residents from the list.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Outcry of intellectuals Several liberal-minded intellectuals such as the well-known writer Arundhati Roy have sharply criticized the new law and the government's plan to create a nationwide citizenship registration. Conservative politicians such as Subramanian Swamy, a former minister of commerce, has called for Roy to be arrested and charged with sedition.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Students against the new law Students from several universities across the country have taken to the streets to protest against the new measures. Several student organizations are at the forefront of the protests. They are making use of social media to wage a parallel battle online and teach people how to organize demonstrations.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Police cracking down on protesters Indian authorities have deployed thousands of riot police to control the protests. At least 25 people have so far died in two weeks of at times violent demonstrations. India's army chief has also criticized the role of students in the protests.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Hindu nationalists adamant Prime minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has remained adamant throughout the protests. They say that people are misguided and don't understand the real meaning of the law. The BJP blames the opposition Congress Party for creating confusion and igniting fear.

India's new citizenship law ignites religious tensions Supporters of new citizenship act The Rashitrya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a right-wing, Hindu-nationalist paramilitary volunteer organization. Members of the group, which is the parent organization of the BJP, were seen parading on the outskirts of Hyderabad in support of the new law. Author: Rodion Ebbighausen



Bezos' visit was also met with protests by Indian street traders who rallied outside of an Amazon event in New Delhi, chanting: "Jeff Bezos - Go Back!"

Read more: Opinion: India's new citizenship act is unconstitutional

Amazon's business ambitions in India have also brought out concerns of traditional Indian street traders who accuse the e-commerce giant of driving them out of business.

"They are the second version of the East India Company. They just want to wipe out the competition and later on dictate their own terms," Praveen Khandelwal of the Confederation of All India Traders told DW.

Since the BJP got its start, India's shopkeepers have represented a core constituency.

Amazon's plans in India

During his visit, the US tycoon announced Amazon's plans to create a million new jobs in India and pledged investments of $1 billion over the next five years.

"We will use Amazon's global footprint to enable $10 billion (€ 9 billion) in exports of Indian products to the rest of the world by 2025. Our investments in India will create an additional 1 million jobs across the country by 2025," Bezos said in a letter posted on Amazon's India website.

Read more: Strike by millions of Indian workers over Modi privatization plans

However, Bezos' announcement was overshadowed by the remarks of India's trade minister, Piyush Goyal, who said Amazon is not doing India any favors by announcing the new investments.

"They may have put in a billion dollars but then if they make a loss of a billion dollars every year then they have to finance that billion dollars," Goyal said on Thursday at an event in New Delhi.

"If they are bringing in money to finance losses … it certainly raises questions as to where the loss came from," Goyal said, adding that Amazon could be engaged in "predatory pricing or some unfair trade practices."

Earlier this week, India's antitrust body launched investigation into Amazon and Flipkart, its main rival in India, over allegations of deep price discounts and whether the firms discriminate against small vendors.