▶️ Hundreds of people from various Muslim organizations protested Friday, December 13, in central New Delhi against the new citizenship act, which was passed by the Indian Parliament this week.
The bill will make six religious groups -- Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis and Buddhists -- who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, eligible for Indian citizenship. The government says it is intended to give sanctuary to minorities who fled religious persecution in these countries.
Critics say the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which passed the upper house of Parliament Wednesday, would lead to a flood of immigrants into Assam and other northeast states, and would marginalize India's minority Muslims, which they claim is a goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist government.
Two people have been killed in the ongoing protests.
(VOA/AP)
https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/controversial-citizenship-bill-sparks-violent-protests-northeast-india