- Title: Hundreds arrested in India during days of protests over citizenship law
- Date: 21st December 2019
- Summary: RAMPUR, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (DECEMBER 21, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) VARIOUS OF POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS / POLICE AND PROTESTERS PELTING STONES AT EACH OTHER / FIRE SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND POLICE AND MEMBERS OF RAPID ACTION FORCE (RAF) WALKING MEMBER OF RAF FIRING TEAR GAS TEAR GAS SMOKE RISING FROM GROUND LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (DECEMBER 21, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INSPECTOR GENERAL, LAW AND ORDER, UTTAR PRADESH STATE, PRAVEEN KUMAR, SAYING: "In total, 124 cases have been registered, out of which 705 people have been arrested in substantive offences. During this whole process, 4,500 people were taken under preventive custody and later released under a bond." KANPUR, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (DECEMBER 21, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) POLICE WALKING TOWARDS PROTESTERS PROTESTERS THROWING STONES AT POLICE POLICE STANDING IN STREET VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN STREET / SMOKE RISING IN BACKGROUND POLICE CHARGING TOWARDS PROTESTERS WITH BATONS / SMOKE RISING IN BACKGROUND POLICE GATHERED IN STREET / FIRE IN BACKGROUND POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (DECEMBER 21, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INSPECTOR GENERAL, LAW AND ORDER, UTTAR PRADESH STATE, PRAVEEN KUMAR, SAYING: "A total of 263 policemen were reported injured during the protests, out of which 57 policemen suffered firearms injuries. With respect to the violence created by rioters, so far, 15 people have been reported dead." KALABURAGI, KARNATAKA, INDIA (DECEMBER 21, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) VARIOUS OF POLICE, RAF AND OTHER PARAMILITARY FORCES SOLDIERS MARCHING ON ROAD WITH BATONS AND RIOT PREVENTION VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADDITIONAL DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE, KARNATAKA, ALOK KUMAR, SAYING: "(We were briefed) that we should provide security to the life and property of each and every citizen, irrespective of their faith, their religion, their caste, their political affiliation, and we will ensure that nothing happens here in Gulbarga city and if anyone tries to break the law, anyone tries to take law into their hands or they get involved in any violent situation, then they will have it." GUWAHATI, ASSAM, INDIA (DECEMBER 21, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) PROTESTERS MARCHING, CARRYING BANNERS AND CHANTING MAN MARCHING WITH CRUTCH / PROTESTERS CHANTING VISUALLY IMPAIRED PROTESTER CHANTING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING
- Embargoed: 4th January 2020 15:13
- Keywords: Citizenship Amendment Act Guwahati India Muslims Uttar Pradesh clash protesters protests tear gas violence
- Location: RAMPUR, LUCKNOW, KANPUR, UTTAR PRADESH/KALBURAGI, KARNATAKA/ GUWAHATI, ASSAM, INDIA
- City: RAMPUR, LUCKNOW, KANPUR, UTTAR PRADESH/KALBURAGI, KARNATAKA/ GUWAHATI, ASSAM, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAX4OXZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:More than 1,500 protesters have been arrested across India in the past 10 days, officials said on Saturday (December 21), as police try to quell sometimes violent demonstrations against a citizenship law that critics say undermines the country's secular constitution.
Additionally, some 4,000 people have been detained and then released, the officials said. Those arrested and detained had been resorting to violence during the protests.
At least 19 people have been killed in clashes between police and protesters since parliament passed the law on Dec. 11, out of which 15 were killed in India's most populous Uttar Pradesh state. Critics of the law say it discriminates against Muslims and threatens India's secular ethos because it makes religion a criteria for citizenship.
The law aims to grant citizenship to minorities of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Jain and Parsi faiths from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, deemed as suffering persecution there. The applicant should have entered India on or before Dec. 31, 2014.
Demonstrations continued on Saturday despite curfews and tough measures aimed at shutting down the protests.
More demonstrations were planned in several parts of the country, including in the northeastern state of Assam. Resentment against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh has simmered for years in Assam, one of India's poorest states, where some residents accuse outsiders, Hindus or Muslims, of stealing jobs and land.
(Production: Polly Rider) - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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