In Pics | Citizenship Act invokes aggressive protests from students, citizens across India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that "Violent protests on the Citizenship Amendment Act are unfortunate and deeply distressing" adding that "no Indian has anything to worry regarding this Act".
Protests against the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill took a violent turn in Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University, where the Delhi Police allegedly entered the campus and tear-gassed the library. Students were protesting against the Act, which allows Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who have been facing religious persecution to seek Indian citizenship if they came to India before December 31, 2014 and have stayed here for at least six years. (Image: Reuters)
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Police and protestors scuffle outside the Jamia Millia Islamia University during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi on December 15. Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa said, “We showed maximum restraint despite facing provocation from protesters,” while addressing the media the next day. (Image: Reuters)
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A protestor is seen kicking a tear gas shell during the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in New Delhi on December 15. Reports of arson and damage to public property had emerged on the same day. Police used batons and teargas shells to disperse the violent mob, but denied firing at them. (Image: Reuters)
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A man runs past a burning bus that was set on fire by demonstrators during a protest against the Citizenship Act. Following the arson on roads, the Delhi Police had entered Jamia university campus and detained several persons for their alleged involvement in the violence. (Image: Reuters)
However, Delhi is not the only city where citizens have been protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Students display placards as they attend a protest against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Act in Kolkata. (Image: Reuters)
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Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against the Act in Guwahati, where two people have died in a police scuffle. People in Assam are particularly against the Act as they fear attack on their indigenous culture as well as added pressure on their resources including land, jobs, etc if immigrants are given citizenship. (Image: Reuters)
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Demonstrators display placards and shout slogans against the Citizenship Act in Ahmedabad. Protests have spread to various parts of the country as citizens fear that the legislation will exacerbate the problem of immigrants in India. (Image: Reuters)
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Policemen detain a demonstrator during a protest after India's parliament passed Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), in Agartala, Tripura. The Northeast has been on a boil since the passage of the Bill by both the House of Parliament. Curfew was imposed and internet services snapped in various parts of Tripura and Assam. (Image: Reuters)
A boy holds a placard during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Mumbai. There were murmurs that the newly formed Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government may not implement the Act, even as the Home Ministry said that states cannot not implement the bill, which was passed by the Parliament by a majority. Punjab and Kerala have also refused to implement the amended law. (Image: Reuters)
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People carry a gas cylinder after their shop was set on fire during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Gomati district in Tripura. The state, which shares the border with Bangladesh, has seen aggressive protests against the bill in the last couple of weeks. (Image: Reuters)
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People offer Friday prayer in front of a banner before the start of a protest march against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Kolkata on December 13. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken out a march against the new legislation and the NRC exercise today. (Image: Reuters)
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A woman shouts slogans during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill on December 5, 2019. Earlier this year, the NRC (National Register of Citizens) exercise was carried out in the state. The final list had left out over 19 lakh people. People of Assam have expressed their ire against the Act saying it violates the Assam Accord of 1985. (Image: Reuters)
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Students hold placards and shout slogans in solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia university students after Delhi Police had entered the campus and allegedly baton charged the students and tear-gassing the library. The incident led to Jamia becoming the nerve-centre of the anti- Citizenship Act protests. Following the incident on December 15, protests have spread to Aligarh Muslim University and Nadwa College (Lucknow) in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi University, IIT Madras, TISS Hyderabad, Mumbai University, IIT Mumbai, IIT Kanpur, and others. (Image: Reuters)
