The national capital turned war-zone once again on Tuesday after angry protesters took to the streets and pelted policemen with pieces of brick in the Seelampur-Jaffrabad area, located in the territory’s northeast. This protest is the latest example of widespread discontent with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, a law that deals with refugee naturalization and which critics say is anti-Muslim.
The police in Seelampur were heavily outnumbered, and constant tear gas shelling made breathing difficult. The streets were cloaked in a haze and strewn with broken brick. 6 metro stations around the area have been closed.
Situation in the national capital worsened after students of Jamia Millia Islamia in south Delhi carried out a protest march against the citizenship law and ended in violence on Sunday evening. At least three buses and over a hundred two-wheelers were set ablaze, batons and teargas were used and the police were seen chasing protesters through the streets.
Nearly 100 students of Jamia, who had distanced themselves from the violence, have been detained, while senior officers of the Delhi Police privately admitted local thugs hijacked the march, setting vehicles ablaze and pelting stones at police when they tried to stop their protest march to Jantar Mantar.