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India muzzles citizenship law protests, shutting down Internet and detaining protesters India muzzles citizenship law protests, shutting down Internet and detaining protesters
(about 4 hours later)
NEW DELHI — Indian authorities clamped down Thursday on demonstrations against a contentious citizenship law, prohibiting public gatherings in two major states and parts of the nation's capital that are together home to more than 260 million people. NEW DELHI — Indian authorities attempted Thursday to suppress a fresh round of nationwide protests against a new citizenship law, temporarily detaining thousands of people and suspending Internet service in parts of the country's capital.
A coalition of civil society groups called for rallies across the country on Thursday to voice opposition to the law, which opponents say is discriminatory and violates India’s constitution. The law creates a fast-track to citizenship for migrants from six religions who arrived in India by 2014, but excludes Muslims. Police relied on a colonial-era measure to prohibit public gatherings in various parts of India. Protesters defied the ban and risked arrest to voice their anger over the law, which they say is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
In Delhi, hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered near one of the city’s major monuments to begin a march, but police invoked a measure that forbids gatherings of four or more people, effectively making protests illegal. Police detained protesters and took them away in buses. The measure creates an expedited path to citizenship for migrants who entered India illegally, provided they belong to six religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. It pointedly excludes Islam, the faith practiced by 200 million Indian citizens.
Why protests are erupting over India’s new citizenship lawWhy protests are erupting over India’s new citizenship law
Internet and phone service was also suspended in some parts of the city. A police order reviewed by The Washington Post instructed cellular companies to shut down service in five areas on Thursday, including the locations of planned protests. India leads the world in the number of Internet shutdowns, which authorities say are a way to prevent violence and unrest. The government says the law is a humanitarian measure. But it has galvanized those who believe that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to transform an officially secular country into a Hindu nation where Muslims are effectively second-class citizens.
Pavan Duggal, an attorney and cyberlaw expert, said he could not recall a previous instance when Internet service was cut in India’s capital. Resorting to such severe tactics to control protests is “counterproductive” and sends a signal of panic, he said. Protests have roiled India ever since the law was passed last week, and some have turned violent. They represent the most sustained show of opposition to Modi since he came to power in 2014.
The Delhi police also restricted movement in the capital. More than 15 metro stations were shuttered, and vehicles were prevented from entering the city on several roads from the neighboring suburb of Gurgaon, leading to monumental traffic jams. Among those detained Thursday were high-profile political figures and academics, including Ramachandra Guha, one of India’s most distinguished historians.
Protests against the citizenship law have roiled India in recent days, and some have turned violent. On Sunday, police stormed a university campus in Delhi, striking unarmed students and firing tear gas into the library. The protests are the most sustained show of opposition to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014. “This is totally wrong,” he said in a video taken at a protest Thursday morning in Bangalore, just before he was hauled off by police. He called India’s leaders “paranoid” and “scared” of peaceful protesters.
In Bangalore, capital of the state of Karnataka, protesters holding signs were taken into custody by police after authorities invoked the same measure, known as Section 144, to disallow public gatherings. Among those detained was Ramachandra Guha, one of India’s most distinguished historians. Nilesh Jain, a lawyer and one of the organizers of Thursday’s protests in Delhi, estimated that 5,000 people were detained for up to several hours. He spent part of the day in a stadium with hundreds of other protesters before being released. A police spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
“This is totally wrong,” he said in a video from the scene. “Our paranoid rulers in Delhi are scared” of a peaceful protest. In an apparent first, authorities shut down Internet access in parts of Delhi on Thursday. A police order reviewed by The Washington Post instructed cellular companies to cut communications in five areas, including the locations of planned protests. India leads the world in the number of Internet shutdowns, which authorities say are a way to prevent violence and unrest.
All of Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state and home to 200 million people, was placed under Section 144 restrictions on Thursday. The state’s director general of police, O.P. Singh, told reporters that no protest would be permitted in the state. Pavan Duggal, an attorney and cyberlaw expert, said he could not recall a previous instance when Internet service was curtailed in India’s capital. Resorting to such severe tactics to control protests is “counterproductive,” he said.
The Delhi police also shuttered more than 15 metro stations and prevented vehicles from entering the city on several roads from the neighboring suburb of Gurgaon, leading to monumental traffic jams.
India passes controversial citizenship law excluding Muslim migrantsIndia passes controversial citizenship law excluding Muslim migrants
“Parents are advised to counsel their kids and ask them not to participate in any kind of protest, and if they do, police will take action against them,” he said. While such measures may have decreased the number of protesters, they did not stop the demonstrations. Bharat Tiwari, 50, a photographer, and his friend Ahmar Khan, 32, a writer, gathered at Jantar Mantar, a traditional protest site, where the crowd swelled to several thousand people.
Despite the warning, hundreds of protesters took to the streets Thursday afternoon in the old city area of Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. They threw stones at officers, burned several vehicles and torched two police outposts. Police responded by firing tear gas and smoke grenades. The restrictions show “the government is desperate,” said Tiwari. He carried a poster with a tribute to Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.
In Delhi, the demonstrations were peaceful through Thursday afternoon, but police in riot gear were present in large numbers. Police detained hundreds of protesters from several locations, including the city’s renowned Red Fort. In the financial capital of Mumbai, where the state government is controlled by a coalition of opposition parties, local authorities gave permission for a major demonstration. Thousands filled a park in the heart of the city and overflowed into nearby streets, chanting slogans favoring nationalism and opposing the Modi government. Some of the slogans likened Modi to Adolf Hitler.
The citizenship law is “unconstitutional,” said 24-year-old student Swati Khanna before she was taken away by police officers. “India is becoming a police state, but we will reclaim it.” Kameen Yaseen, a 32-year old mechanic, attended the rally with more than 100 fellow residents of a predominantly Muslim neighborhood. He said it was the first time he had participated in a political demonstration.
Protests took place Thursday in at least six other cities. A large march was expected in the financial capital of Mumbai later in the day. The government of the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, is not controlled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, and authorities there have allowed the demonstration to proceed. Ever since the Modi government came to power, it has “made policies and laws that are targeting Muslims,” said Yaseen. “It’s better we stop this government from oppressing us before it’s too late.”
Tania Dutta in New Delhi and Saurabh Sharma in Lucknow contributed to this report. In Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state and home to 200 million people, authorities announced a blanket ban on all protests Thursday. Police invoked the same measure used in Delhi, a provision known as Section 144, to forbid gatherings of four or more people in the interest of public safety.
“Parents are advised to counsel their kids and ask them not to participate in any kind of protest, and if they do, police will take action against them,” said O.P Singh, the state’s director general of police.
Despite the warning, hundreds of protesters took to the streets Thursday afternoon in the old-city area of Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. They threw stones at officers, burned several vehicles and torched two police outposts. Police responded by firing tear gas and smoke grenades. By the evening, the situation appeared under control.
At Jantar Mantar in Delhi, the crowds began to disperse by nightfall, but protesters vowed to return. Partivartan Pandya, 19, a university student, said it was his fourth demonstration since Sunday.
“This is an outburst against the last five years,” he said. “This movement will build up. We will continue to protest.”
Tania Dutta in New Delhi, Payal Mohta in Mumbai and Saurabh Sharma in Lucknow contributed to this report.
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