Protest Against Citizenship Law Turns Violent, Buses Set On Fire In South Delhi

Protests over Citizenship law turned violent in the national capital on Sunday with protestors setting ablaze three buses in the South Delhi area. Four fire engines have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire. According to reports, students of Jamia Millia Islamia and locals tried to damage the fire tenders. Violence erupted on Mathura Road following a clash between police and Jamia students. Police used batons to disperse the protesters.

According to Saimon Farooqui, national secretary of Congress affiliated National Students' Union of India, the protesters were peacefully sitting on Mathura Road when policemen tried to "trouble" a couple of protesters, who resisted.

Delhi: Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses set ablaze by protesters near Bharat Nagar over #CitizenshipAmendmentAct. One fire tender was rushed to the spot. Two firemen also injured. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/j6vH9tG8O4

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2019

Group of Jamia Millia students issues statement disassociating themselves from violence during protest against Citizenship Act. "We have time and again maintained that our protests are peaceful and non-violent," the statement by group of Jamia Millia students reads.

Protests are being held at Jamia Nagar in Delhi against the amended Citizenship Act. Delhi Traffic Police tweeted that the vehicle movement was closed from Okhla Underpass to Sarita Vihar due to the demonstration. The demonstrators blocked Mathura Road opposite New Friends Colony, the traffic police said.

Traffic from Badarpur and Ashram Chowk was diverted to alternative routes due to the road blockade.

The varsity had turned into a battlefield on Friday with the students and the police clashing after the protesters wanted to march to the Parliament against the contentious amendment to the Act.

Earlier on Friday, Jamia Millia Islamia turned into a virtual battlefield when students and policemen clashed with each other as students tried to march to Parliament in protest against the legislation.

Police have registered a case of rioting and obstructing government servants from performing duty against unidentified persons in connection with the protest.

A senior university official said all exams at the university have been postponed and new dates will be announced in due course. The official said a vacation has been declared from Dec 16 to Jan 5 and the university will reopen on Jan 6 next year.

"The university would like to clarify and put the incident in proper perspective as to who were involved and why this happened. Thousands of people from nearby localities assembled at the site of the protest along with a section of students.

"The outsiders who have nothing to do with the university clashed with the police and not the students. In fact, the students tried to stop them from doing so. Students were caught in clashes resulting in injuries to some of them," the university official said.