20 dead in Delhi riots, 189 wounded

20 dead in Delhi riots, 189 wounded

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Security personnel patrol on a street following clashes between people supporting and opposing a contentious amendment to India's citizenship law in New Delhi on February 26, 2020. - Four more people have died in some of the worst sectarian violence in decades in New Delhi.

India has been rocked by violence since Parliament approved a new citizenship law in December that provides fast-track naturalization for some foreign-born religious minorities but not Muslims.

Critics have said the country is moving toward a religious citizenship test.

Trump declined to comment on the new law.

“I don’t want to discuss that. I want to leave that to India and hopefully they’re going to make the right decision for the people,” he said.

The group of protesting Hindus shouted praise for Hindu gods and goddesses. Police fired tear gas to disperse them and a group of rival Muslims.

Television images showed the streets in the violence-hit areas littered with mangled remains of vehicles, bricks and burnt tyres, mute testimony to the violence and bloodshed that took on a communal taint on Monday.

During Monday’s protests, police fired tear gas and used canes as they charged protesters in several areas of New Delhi. The rival groups hurled rocks at each other and set houses, shops, vehicles and a gasoline pump on fire. Police closed two metro stations.

One police officer was killed in the violence after he was hit by rocks, police officer Anuj Kumar said. Eleven other officers were injured by rocks as they tried to separate rival groups, police said.

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