Policeman killed, many injured in Delhi clashes

A policeman was killed and dozens of people injured amid clashes in New Delhi yesterday as thousands demonstrating for and against a new citizenship law rioted for several hours before US President Donald Trump’s maiden visit to the city.
Police used tear gas and smoke grenades but struggled to disperse the crowds, as both sides hurled stones and turned a wide boulevard into a rock-strewn battle zone, about 16km from where Trump will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talks today.
One police constable was killed, a police official said, declining to be named since he isn’t authorised to speak to media.
An official at Delhi’s GTB Hospital said more than 35 people injured in the clashes were undergoing treatment.
ANI news agency reported that one civilian had also died, but there was no confirmation.
Multiple vehicles were set on fire, metal barricades torn down and thick smoke billowed as supporters of the new Citizenship Amendment Act clashed with opponents.
A small contingent of police was vastly outnumbered.
India’s capital has been a hotbed of protests against the law, which eases the path of non-Muslims from three neighbouring Muslim-dominated countries to gain Indian citizenship.
This has led to accusations that Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are undermining India’s secular traditions.
The BJP denies any bias against India’s more than 180mn-strong Muslim minority, but objectors have been holding protests and camping out in parts of New Delhi for two months.
Yesterday’s clashes were among the worst seen in New Delhi since the ant-CAA protests began in early December.
The latest round of violence came as Trump began his first visit to India as US president, addressing a rally in Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
Trump landed in New Delhi late yesterday.
The clashes stretched over a nearly kilometre-long road and lasted from early afternoon until well into the evening, leaving at least half a dozen people injured.
Police imposed an emergency law prohibiting any gatherings in the violence-hit areas.
The protesters appeared to be divided along religious lines. Local politician Yogendra Yadav described the violence as “communal” and urged police to intervene.
But for several hours, witnesses saw the outnumbered policemen mostly stand beside those backing the citizenship law, and do little to quell the violence.
The police also stood by as a mob vandalised a store with a Muslim name, pulling out vehicles and setting them alight.
“Go ahead and throw stones,” one policeman shouted to protesters backing the law, during one of the running battles.
On side streets, young boys drained fuel from motorcycles to make petrol bombs, and protesters pulled up paving stones and flung construction material at opponents.
“We are in support of the CAA. If they want to protest, they should go somewhere else,” said a protester who gave his name as Amit.
Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the violence was a “conspiracy to shame India globally” during Trump’s visit.
“We have deployed additional forces, and we will do everything to bring law and order under control,” he told ANI.
“Please renounce violence. Nobody benefits from this. All problems will be solved by peace,” Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted that schools in the capital’ northeast would be shut today and exams postponed.
Many children studying in East Delhi schools also bore the brunt of the violence.
On receiving the news of violence, schools did not take the risk of sending children home without any protection.
As a result, hundreds of students were stuck till the parents reached the schools.
Sunita Lakhachaura, who lives in Yamuna Vihar, said: “At about 1 o’clock in the afternoon, we got a call from the school that violence and riots are taking place on the route of the school bus. In view of the violence, the school administration refused to send children in the school van”.
The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi.
The JIH has alleged that the police did not taken action against the rioters.
“We have credible reports of clashes between pro and anti-CAA protesters in the Maujpur area in which the police were just a mute spectator. The protesters were throwing stones and provoking others,” said Salim Engineer, vice president of the Jamaat.