New Delhi: Indian police fired tear gas and resorted to baton charges to disperse thousands of demonstrators who torched vehicles in New Delhi on Sunday.

A new citizenship law enacted on December 11 has stirred protests across India, with violent demonstrations ongoing in the capital since Friday.

A bus goes up in flames during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in New Delhi on Sunday. Credit:AP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government says the new law will save religious minorities such as Hindus and Christians from persecution in neighbouring Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan by offering them a path to Indian citizenship. But critics say the law, which does not make the same provision for Muslims, weakens India's secular foundations.

On Sunday, protesters in South Delhi, including locals and some students, torched buses and cars.