Tue 25 February 2020:
Five people have been killed in Delhi in protests over India’s controversial new citizenship law, hours before a visit by US President Donald Trump.
A policeman and four civilians died in the capital’s deadliest day since the new law was passed last year.
Vehicles were set alight in the clashes, between supporters and opponents of the law, which critics say targets India’s 200 million Muslims.
Parts of the city remain tense as Mr Trump prepares for talks on Tuesday.
The violence in Muslim-majority areas in north-east Delhi began on Sunday and continued into Monday. It is the first time a member of the security forces has been killed in the unrest around India since it erupted late last year.
The new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) grants amnesty to non-Muslim immigrants from three nearby Muslim-majority countries. Protesters, largely led by Muslim women and men, say it discriminates against Muslims. But Hindu groups say the protests are unnecessary.
Clashes broke out on Sunday when the two sides clashed with each other.
This is the second day of clashes in the city where US President Donald Trump arrived on Monday evening on the main leg of his India visit.
Police fired tear gas shells and also resorted to lathicharge as clashes broke out between pro and anti CAA groups at Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Chandbagh, Khureji Khas and Bhajanpura. Security personnel conducted flag marches and prohibitory orders were clamped to bring the situation under control.
Delhi: Fire at tyre market near Gokulpuri metro station area has been doused. No casualties reported. 10 fire tenders were present at the spot. The market was allegedly set ablaze during the violence that broke out in North-East Delhi. pic.twitter.com/uLn3Y10oC1
— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2020
Ratan Lal (42), a head constable attached to the office of the ACP Gokalpuri, died after he sustained injuries during stone-pelting at Gokalpuri.
Three other civilians succumbed to injuries in the clashes, a Delhi government official said, adding 50 people with injuries had come to the hospital for treatment.
At least 11 police personnel, including Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Shahdara, Amit Sharma and ACP (Gokalpuri) Anuj Kumar were injured while trying to quell the protests. Two CRPF police personnel were also injured, sources said.
The injured are being treated in Delhi’s GTB hospital for serious injuries, hospital.
“One of the seriously injured is a senior police officer. He has now been moved to another hospital for specialised treatment,” a source said.
Parents of Auto rickshaw driver, Shahid Alvi,
Shahid Alvi, an auto rickshaw driver, died because of a bullet injury he suffered during the protest.
His brother Rashid told media in Hindi that Shahid got married just a month ago.
“He was shot in the stomach during the protest and died while we were taking him to the hospital,” he said.
Charred vehicles and some streets full of stones in areas like Jafrabad and Chand Bagh on Tuesday morning.
“These areas looked like a warzone. Police were checking identity cards of people who entering these areas this morning. Some Metro stations have also been shut. Everybody looked tense,” he added.
Delhi’s freshly re-elected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, called on the federal government to restore law and order.
The capital’s police force reports directly to the federal government, run by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
One of its leaders had threatened a group of protesters staging a sit-in against the CAA over the weekend, telling them that they would be forcibly cleared once Donald Trump had left India.
The new law has raised fears that India’s secular status is at risk.
It came after Mr Modi’s government revoked the partial autonomy of the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir in August, sparking protests in the Muslim-majority valley. Mobile phone connections and the internet have only been partially restored, and political leaders there are still under house arrest along with hundreds of others.
The two decisions have sharply polarised India, and have been questioned by leaders abroad.
Mr Modi and Mr Trump, who lead the world’s two largest democracies, are to hold formal talks in the capital on Tuesday. It’s unclear if the Trump administration will comment on the violence.
The total number of injured is 56.
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