- Title: Indian interior minister defends use of force by police
- Date: 24th December 2019
- Summary: MANGALURU, KARNATAKA, INDIA (DECEMBER 19, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) POLICE BEATING MAN WITH STICKS, MAN RUNNING AWAY POLICE RUNNING, BURNING DEBRIS ON ROAD POLICE KICKING DOOR, MEN COMING OUT OF DOOR AND BEING HIT WITH STICKS NEW DELHI, INDIA (DECEMBER 24, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INDIA'S INTERIOR MINISTER, AMIT SHAH, SAYING: "What happens to the people inside a shop which is set on fire? The police get to the point of firing when someone's life is in danger. If in such a case the police don't use force, they are not fulfilling their duty. There may have been one or two incidents of police going inside ICUs (intensive care unit), when they were following the rioters. However, I do believe that such incidents (entering ICUs) must be avoided, there is no argument with that. However, it is a different issue to comment on such incidents while sitting in a safe environment in an interview compared to when there are thousands of stones flying at you. It is difficult to handle such situations. In such situations, the police (officer) has to save himself, as well as the public, we should also understand their position." AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT, INDIA (DECEMBER 19, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) PROTESTERS WALKING
- Embargoed: 7th January 2020 16:47
- Keywords: Amit Shah Assam CAA Citizenship Amendment Act Home Minister India Interior Minister New Delhi police protests violence
- Location: MANGALURU, KARNATAKA / NEW DELHI / AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT / GUWAHATI, ASSAM, INDIA
- City: MANGALURU, KARNATAKA / NEW DELHI / AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT / GUWAHATI, ASSAM, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001BBC2VK7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: India's Interior Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday (December 24) defended the use of force by police during nationwide protests against a new citizenship law.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) aims to fast-track citizenship for persecuted Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, from Muslim-majority Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
At least 21 people have been killed since the law was passed in protests that represent the first major opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's legislative agenda since his party's landslide re-election this year.
"The police get to the point of firing when someone's life is in danger. If in such a case the police don't use force, they are not fulfilling their duty," India's Interior Minister Amit Shah said during an interview.
New York-based Human Rights Watch criticised the police action and called on them to stop using unnecessary lethal force against demonstrators.
In the last 10 days, police in Uttar Pradesh have taken nearly 900 people into custody for violence. More than 2,000 people have been arrested across India.
(Production: Rosalind Church) - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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