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Citizenship law violence in north-east India; Delhi death toll 42

Gulan Media February 29, 2020 News
Citizenship law violence in north-east India; Delhi death toll 42
New Delhi (dpa) – Parts of north-eastern India were under curfew on Saturday after a fresh clash over a controversial new citizenship law, while in national capital Delhi the death toll in riots earlier this week rose to 42.

One person was killed and 12 injured when violence broke out during a anti-citizenship law protest on Friday in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, area police chief Claudia A Lyngwa said.

Mobile internet services have been suspended and a curfew imposed in several districts and Meghalaya capital Shillong after the incident.

In Delhi, police and paramilitary continued to patrol pockets where a confrontation between supporters and opponents of the citizenship law flared into communal riots between Hindus and Muslims earlier this week.

About 200 people were injured in the violence that peaked on Tuesday, and 42 have died so far, doctors at the hospitals treating them said.

"We are encouraging people to come out; some are going back to work," special police commissioner Satish Golcha said. He said no violence had been reported from the area for three days.

Police also on Saturday detained six youths who were shouting slogans like "Shoot the traitors" at Delhi's busiest Metro station Rajiv Chowk. "They are being interrogated," a police spokesman said.

There have been countrywide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 which fast-tracks Indian nationality for persecuted religious communities from three neighbouring countries but excludes Muslims.

Critics say the act undermines India's secular constitution and is an attempt by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government to marginalize Muslims.
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