Uneasy calm in New Delhi after clashes
At least 38 people have been killed in the deadliest violence to engulf India's capital New Delhi for decades as a heavy deployment of security forces brought an uneasy calm yesterday.
However, violence did not subside completely and thousands of people began picking up the pieces of their shattered lives and livelihoods.
Four days after clashes that began in northeast Delhi over the amended citizenship law and spiralled into bloodshed, arson and looting, there were scattered incidents of vehicles and shops being set on fire in Maujpur, Bhajanpura and other areas.
Thousands of riot police and paramilitaries patrolled the affected northeast fringes of the Indian capital of 20 million people, preventing any major eruptions however.
The violence began over a disputed new citizenship law on Sunday but led to widespread clashes between Muslims and Hindus on Monday in which hundreds were injured. Many suffered gunshot wounds, while arson, looting and stone-throwing has also taken place.
Eleven more fatalities have been recorded at three hospitals, The Hindu reported citing senior officials.
While 34 deaths were recorded at the GTB Hospital in Dilshad Garden, three have been recorded at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and one death has been recorded at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital.
At the heart of the unrest is a citizenship law which makes it easier for non-Muslims from some neighbouring Muslim-dominated countries to gain Indian citizenship. Critics say the law is biased against Muslims and undermines India's secular constitution.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the new law adopted last December is of "great concern" and she was worried by reports of police inaction in the face of assaults against Muslims by other groups.
"I appeal to all political leaders to prevent violence," Bachelet said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also condemned the violence and alleged discrimination against Muslims.
On Wednesday the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which advises Washington but does not set policy, voiced "grave concern" about the violence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has denied having any prejudice against India's 180 million Muslims, saying that law is required to help persecuted minorities.
New Delhi has been the epicentre for protests against the new law, with students and large sections of the Muslim community leading the protests.
On Wednesday a Delhi High Court judge, Justice S. Muralidhar, sharply criticised the police and called on them to investigate BJP politicians for inciting violence.
Muralidhar was transferred to another state court in a late-night order, prompting a social media storm.
Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the transfer was routine and had been recommended by the Supreme Court collegium earlier this month.
Opposition Congress party leader Manish Tiwari said every lawyer and judge in India should strongly protest what he called a crude attempt to intimidate the judiciary.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said inflammatory speeches at the protests over the new citizenship law in the last few months and the tacit support of some opposition leaders was behind the violence.
"The investigation is on," he said.
While there was no precise figure for the number of arrests, Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta told the Delhi High Court that 48 FIRs were lodged in relation to the violence.
Delhi Police transferred the riots probe to the Crime Branch and formed two Special Investigation Teams.
The opposition Congress took the issue to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Accusing Home Minister Amit Shah of "abdication of duty", a Congress delegation led by party chief Sonia Gandhi urged President Ram Nath Kovind to call for his resignation and remind the Centre of its "raj dharma".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who romped to re-election last May, also withdrew Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy in August with the objective of tightening New Delhi's grip on the restive region, which is also claimed by full by Pakistan.
For months the government imposed severe restrictions in Kashmir including cutting telephone and internet lines, while keeping hundreds of people, including mainstream political leaders, in custody for fear that they could whip up mass protests. Some restrictions have since been eased.
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