26 dead in India as protests grip nation

Protesters demand scrapping of new citizenship law with police reporting fresh clashes, incidents of violence

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - The death toll from protests across India rose to 26 on Sunday as demonstration continue against a controversial citizenship bill, police said.

The center of protests is the the northern state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) where a large Muslim minority lives.

The state government said it has arrested six people associated with Islamic outfits blaming them for the violence.

Internet services have been suspended across several districts of the state until Monday.

The Citizenship Amendment Act passed last week grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, but blocks naturalization for Muslims.

Muslim leaders believe the new law will be linked to a nationwide exercise where every citizen would be asked to prove Indian citizenship.

More than 100 people have also been arrested in different parts of the state in connection with violent protests, said an official.

Kaynak: