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Citizenship Act protests: Thousands held across India for defying ban | Citizenship Act protests: Thousands held across India for defying ban |
(32 minutes later) | |
Three people have died in India and thousands have been detained amid demonstrations against a controversial new citizenship law. | |
A protest ban has been imposed in parts of the capital Delhi and throughout the states of Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. | |
The new law offers citizenship to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. | The new law offers citizenship to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. |
Critics fear the law undermines India's secular constitution, and say faith should not be the basis of citizenship. | |
There have been days of protests in India against the law. | |
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across the country on Thursday, despite the police order based on a severely restrictive law which prohibits more than four people from gathering in a place. | |
Two people died in the city of Mangalore after officers opened fire on demonstrators allegedly trying to set fire to a police station. Commissioner Dr PS Harsha told reporters that a curfew is in place in the city, and that he was waiting for a post mortem before announcing the cause of death for either man. | |
Another man also died in the city of Lucknow, where violent clashes between demonstrators and police earlier in the day saw buses set alight. | |
Civil society groups, political parties, students, activists and ordinary citizens put out a steady stream of messages on Instagram and Twitter, urging people to turn out and protest peacefully. | Civil society groups, political parties, students, activists and ordinary citizens put out a steady stream of messages on Instagram and Twitter, urging people to turn out and protest peacefully. |
Among those who were briefly detained were Ramachandra Guha, a prominent historian and outspoken critic of the government, in the southern city of Bangalore; and political activist Yogendra Yadav in Delhi. | Among those who were briefly detained were Ramachandra Guha, a prominent historian and outspoken critic of the government, in the southern city of Bangalore; and political activist Yogendra Yadav in Delhi. |
Speaking to the BBC's Newshour programme, Mr Guha said he had been arrested with hundreds of others from various different backgrounds, "which clearly shows that a large section of Indians are actually opposed to this discriminatory legislation". | Speaking to the BBC's Newshour programme, Mr Guha said he had been arrested with hundreds of others from various different backgrounds, "which clearly shows that a large section of Indians are actually opposed to this discriminatory legislation". |
Protests are continuing in some cities, such as Delhi and Bangalore, while thousands have gathered in Mumbai. Bollywood actors and filmmakers are expected to join the demonstration there. | Protests are continuing in some cities, such as Delhi and Bangalore, while thousands have gathered in Mumbai. Bollywood actors and filmmakers are expected to join the demonstration there. |
Police meanwhile put up barricades on a major highway connecting Delhi and the city of Jaipur, checking all vehicles entering the capital. This led to massive gridlock, with many commuters missing their flights. Indigo, a leading airline, reportedly cancelled 19 flights because its crew members couldn't reach the airport. | Police meanwhile put up barricades on a major highway connecting Delhi and the city of Jaipur, checking all vehicles entering the capital. This led to massive gridlock, with many commuters missing their flights. Indigo, a leading airline, reportedly cancelled 19 flights because its crew members couldn't reach the airport. |
What is the law about? | What is the law about? |
The law - known as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) - offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. | The law - known as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) - offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. |
The federal government says this is to protect religious minorities fleeing persecution in the three Muslim-majority countries. | The federal government says this is to protect religious minorities fleeing persecution in the three Muslim-majority countries. |
But what has made the law especially controversial is that it comes in the wake of the government's plan to publish a nationwide register of citizens that it says will identify illegal immigrants - namely, anyone who doesn't have the documents to prove that their ancestors lived in India. | But what has made the law especially controversial is that it comes in the wake of the government's plan to publish a nationwide register of citizens that it says will identify illegal immigrants - namely, anyone who doesn't have the documents to prove that their ancestors lived in India. |
A National Register of Citizens (NRC) - published in the north-eastern state of Assam - saw 1.9 million people effectively made stateless. | A National Register of Citizens (NRC) - published in the north-eastern state of Assam - saw 1.9 million people effectively made stateless. |
The NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act are closely linked as the latter will protect non-Muslims who are excluded from the register and face the threat of deportation or internment. | The NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act are closely linked as the latter will protect non-Muslims who are excluded from the register and face the threat of deportation or internment. |
Why are people protesting against it? | Why are people protesting against it? |
Many Muslim citizens fear that they could be made stateless if they don't have the necessary documents; and critics also say the law is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in India's constitution. | |
But Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the law would have "no effect on citizens of India, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists". | But Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the law would have "no effect on citizens of India, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists". |
He also blamed the opposition for the protests, accusing them of "spreading lies and rumours" and "instigating violence" and "creating an atmosphere of illusion and falsehood". | He also blamed the opposition for the protests, accusing them of "spreading lies and rumours" and "instigating violence" and "creating an atmosphere of illusion and falsehood". |