Protest in South Delhi over Citizenship law, Police use tear gas to disburse

NEW DELHI: A protest march against the citizenship law, held by students of Jamia Millia Islamia in south Delhi, ended in violence this evening, practically turning the posh New Friends Colony into a war zone. At least three buses were set ablaze, batons and teargas were used and the police were seen chasing protesters through the streets.

The Jamia students have distanced themselves from the violence and senior officers of the Delhi Police privately admitted that local thugs had hijacked the march, setting vehicles ablaze and throwing stones at policemen when they tried to stop them from marching to Jantar Mantar.

Two firemen and one cop were injured and one fire engine was damaged in the protests. Metro operations – Jamia Millia Islamia University is on the city’s Magenta Line – were affected, with the entry and exit gates of Sukhdev Vihar Station, Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla Vihar and Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh, as well as Gate No.3 of the Ashram Station, closed.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has condemned the violence in a tweet on his official account.

Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing an election rally in Jharkhand, congratulated the people of Assam for “keeping away from violence”. “You can easily make out who is spreading violence by the clothes they wear,” he said.

Massive clashes have taken place in the North East over the past few days, where at least four people died and thousands took to the streets despite a curfew and the deployment several columns of the Assam Rifles.

Today’s clash, which comes a day after hundreds of Jamia students took out a protest march from their campus to Parliament to express opposition to the new citizenship law that was passed by parliament last week. The law makes it easy for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan

The violence has also spilled over into West Bengal, where trains were set on fire and roads blocked. Internet services in some districts were suspended today; according to ANI it has been suspended for a 48-hour period in Malda district.