Dozens arrested in India as protests against citizenship legislation grow

A policeman fires into the air during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Gauhati, India Credit: AP/Anupam Nath

Thousands of people have been protesting in India against legislation granting citizenship to non-Muslims.

The army has been called in as police arrested dozens after groups defied a curfew in Gauhati, the state capital, on Thursday morning.

Soldiers drove and marched though the streets in the violence-hit districts said state police chief Bhaskar Mahant as protesters burned tyres, buses and attacked the homes of government officials.

Protesters fear the Citizenship Amendment Bill will dilute the culture and political sway of indigenous tribal people. Credit: AP

The protesters argue the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which seeks to grant Indian nationality to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs who fled Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh because of religious persecution before 2015, will dilute the culture and political sway of indigenous tribal people.

The legislation, which was approved by Parliament on Wednesday, does not, however, extend to Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled persecution in Burma.

While those protesting in Assam are opposed to the bill because of worries it will allow immigrants, irrespective of their faith, to live in their region, others are opposed to the bill because they see it as discriminatory for not applying to Muslims.

A protester begs a police officer to allow them to proceed Credit: AP/Anupam Nath

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for peace and in a tweet said: “I want to assure them — no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow.”

The Press Trust of India news agency said the protesters uprooted telephone poles, burned several buses and other vehicles and also attacked homes of officials from the governing Hindu nationalist party and regional group Assam Gana Parishad.

Police used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters in 10 out of the north-eastern Assam state’s 33 districts.

Police stop commuters during a curfew in Gauhati Credit: AP/Anupam Nath

Home minister Amit Shah said it was not anti-Muslim because it did not affect the existing path to citizenship available to all communities.

Amnesty India said the legislation legitimised discrimination on the basis of religion and stood in clear violation of India’s constitution and international human rights law.

“Welcoming asylum seekers is a positive step, but in a secular country like India, slamming the door on persecuted Muslims and other communities merely for their faith reeks of fear-mongering and bigotry,” the rights group said in a statement.

Several opposition MPs who debated the bill in India’s parliament said it would be challenged in court.

Sonia Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party said: “Today marks a dark day in the constitutional history of India. The passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill marks the victory of narrow-minded and bigoted forces over India’s pluralism.”