NEW DELHI, Mar 2 (NNN-PTI) – The death toll during the four-day communal violence in the Indian capital city rose to 46 on Sunday, officials said.
“Today (yesterday), three more bodies were recovered from the violence-hit northeast part of the city,” a police official said. “One of the bodies was found in a canal in Gokalpuri and two were recovered from the Bhagirathi Vihar canal.”
According to officials, the death toll by now stands at 46. Over 350 people were also injured in the violence.
The violence left a trail of damage in the northeastern parts of the city, as rioters torched vehicles, vandalised shops and burnt buildings including schools.
Many people, especially Muslims, have left their homes in the affected areas and took refuge in the shelters set up by the government.
Delhi Police came under fierce criticism for its apparent inaction. Locals alleged their calls to police for help proved futile.
The police have set up two Special Investigative Teams (SIT’s) to probe the violence. According to officials, hundreds of people have been detained in connection with the violence.
The clashes broke out between pro- and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) groups, in the northeastern part of the city last Sunday week, and took an ugly turn on Monday and Tuesday.
Protests against the controversial new citizenship law were triggered on Dec 11 last year, the day India’s upper house of parliament passed the law. Since then there has been no let-up in the protests.
The law aims at granting citizenship to illegal immigrants belonging to six religions – Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Parsi and Christianity – from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, it has kept out Muslim immigrants from applying for citizenship.
So far, violence against the law has killed over 70 people across India.
