Increased security measures have been taken in the Indian capital New Delhi against the backdrop of large-scale protests against the adoption of amendments to the citizenship law in the country, reports NDTV channel.
The decision to strengthen security in the Indian capital was made after a crowd of two thousand protesters clashed with the police in the north-eastern quarter of Silampur on Tuesday. Demonstrators tried to break into the city center, but the policemen prevented them from doing so.
Following this, the crowd began to throw stones, bricks and sticks at law enforcement officers, forcing them to use batons and tear gas. Several police buses and motorcycles were broken during the riots. Dozens of protesters were detained.
On Wednesday, reinforced police units are on duty in the streets of the capital, and random checks of documents are being carried out on drivers. Classes in many educational institutions have been cancelled, and mobile Internet access is subject to significant restrictions.
The scandalous amendments, which came into force at the end of last week, provide for the possibility of facilitating the acquisition of Indian citizenship by non-Muslims from neighboring countries in South Asia – Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh – if they face harassment in their homeland.
The law has provoked dissatisfaction among Indian Muslims, who believe that the amendments violate the constitution because they oppress some citizens in a formally secular country on religious grounds. Residents of the northeastern states of the country also expressed indignation, fearing that millions of people from Bangladesh would now be able to settle legally in their regions. This, according to the organizers of the protests, threatens the interests of the local population.
Mass demonstrations in various parts of India have been going on since the middle of the previous week.