7 dead, dozens injured after citizenship law protests in New Delhi

Protesters in New Delhi on Monday.
(Image credit: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images)

At least seven people were killed and 50 injured Monday in New Delhi after clashes broke out between supporters and opponents of a new citizenship law many consider anti-Muslim, police announced Tuesday.

In December, India's Parliament approved the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which provides citizenship to religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, with the exception of Muslims. Activists say supporters of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) incited violence over the weekend, and video circulated showing a mob of people beating a Muslim man. Protests took place across several neighborhoods in New Delhi, and police fired tear gas at demonstrators.

President Trump is spending Tuesday in New Delhi with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of the BJP. During a rally in Ahmedabad on Monday, Trump commended India, saying it's a country where different faiths "worship side by side in harmony."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.