Widespread protests expected across India despite bans on public gatherings
(CNN)Protests are set to go ahead in 15 cities across India Thursday despite strict bans on public gatherings in several areas, raising the possibility of further violence and arrests.
Public anger over a controversial new citizenship law considered by many to be discriminatory against Muslims continues to build across the country, with marches and rallies planned in major cities such as the capital New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai.
On Thursday, telecoms company Vodafone India tweeted that its services had been suspended in several parts of New Delhi «as per the directive received from the government.» It comes amid reports in multiple local media outlets that the government ordered the suspension of mobile and data services in parts of the capital as protests got underway.
Vodafone tweeted in a reply to a customer that services were stopped in six locations across the city. CNN has reached out to local authorities for confirmation.
By midday, police detained 70 people in the southern city of Bengaluru after protesters refused to disperse from two locations. In New Delhi, security was tight around the city’s iconic Red Fort, with police breaking up clusters of people from protesting.
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Several metro stations have been closed in areas near to planned marches in the capital, with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation citing «sudden safety and security reasons.»
Fueling the protests is nation-wide anger over the Citizenship Amendment Act, which was signed into law last week. The law promises to fast-track Indian citizenship for religious minorities from three neighboring countries who arrived before 2015 — but not if they are Muslim.
Critics say the law is unconstitutional as it bases citizenship on a person’s religion and would further marginalize India’s 200-million strong Muslim community.
Bans on gatherings of four people or more
The Indian government has sought to quell any unrest over the law’s passing. Last week, authorities shut down the internet in four northeastern states after violent protests broke out. And a colonial-era law that prevents gatherings of four or more people — known as Section 144 — has been imposed in three areas.
On Thursday, New Delhi police imposed Section 144 around the Red Fort ahead of the protest. The move came after police denied permission for the march on Wednesday.
Organizers have called for people to gather regardless. «Section 144 being imposed by the police is an attempt to thwart our march. This will not deter us. We will gather there for our march,» Yogendra Yadav, founder of Swaraj Abhiyaan, a group that organized the march told CNN.
Photos:Protesters rally against India’s citizenship bill
A policeman confronts protesters gathered for a demonstration in New Delhi on December 19.
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Police gather at a demonstration near the historic Red Fort in New Delhi.
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Chief minister of West Bengal state and leader of the Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee, along with party supporters, walks in a mass rally across Howrah bridge in Kolkata on December 18.
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Photos:Protesters rally against India’s citizenship bill
Indian police commandos walk along during a protest in Gauhati, India, December 18.
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Protestors participate in a torch rally in Kolkata on December 17.
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Policemen stand near the wreckage of motorcycles which were set on fire during protests in New Delhi, December 17.
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Students from Jamia Millia Islamia, a university in New Delhi, shout slogans during a protest on Tuesday, December 17.
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Police officials march past after the protest of students from Allahabad University on December 17.
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People standing on roofs in New Delhi watch police gathered next to a demonstration on December 17.
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Students and activists protest outside the Allahabad University campus in Allahabad, India, on Monday, December 16.
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People participate in a mass rally in Kolkata, India, on December 16.
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Demonstrators hold signs at the University of Mumbai.
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A bus is seen on fire following a demonstration in New Delhi on Sunday, December 15.
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A child prays during a condolence event in Guwahati, India, for demonstrators killed in anti-CAB protests.
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Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest in Guwahati on Friday, December 13.
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Relatives of Sam Stafford, 18, who was killed during clashes with police the previous day, react in Guwahati on December 13.
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Indian Muslims demonstrate against the bill in New Delhi on December 13.
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Police fire tear gas during a protest in Guwahati on Thursday, December 12.
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Indian soldiers patrol near a burnt vehicle during a curfew in Guwahati on December 12.
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An Indian police officer aims his gun before firing toward protesters who threw stones in Guwahati on December 12.
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Indian youth congress members hold torches as they demonstrate in New Delhi on Wednesday, December 11.
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Security personnel use batons to disperse students protesting against CAB in Guwahati on December 11.
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Protesters on motorbikes hold placards during a protest against the bill in Guwahati on Tuesday, December 10.
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Demonstrators shout slogans during a shutdown called by the North East Students’ Organization in Agartala, India, on December 10. It was hours after lawmakers approved the government’s new citizenship bill.
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The law has also been imposed in Bengalaru for two days from Thursday to prevent demonstrations, according to Bhaskar Rao, the city’s police commissioner.
And a ban on public gatherings has also been rolled out across the entire state of Uttar Pradesh — India’s largest and most populous.
Those marching say the government is using bans on public gatherings to muzzle the voices of Indian people.
«This was to be a peaceful protest by citizens who wish to uphold the values of our Constitution. You have used a colonial-era law to suppress us and our voices,» India historian Ramachandra Guha wrote on his official Twitter account on Thursday.
Protests escalate
The restrictions come after ongoing protests against the citizenship law have turned violent in recent days, with police and protesters involved in street clashes.
Hundreds of people were injured and dozens arrested on Sunday after police stormed a university campus in New Delhi, firing tear gas. And on Tuesday further violent clashes between protesters and police broke out in the district of North East Delhi.
In the northeastern state of Assam ongoing protests have turned deadly, with at least five people killed, police said.
Protests in the northeast are different, however. Many indigenous groups there fear that giving citizenship to large numbers of immigrants would change the unique ethnic make-up of the region and their way of life, regardless of religion.
The widespread civil action comes a day after India’s Supreme Court refused to halt implementation of the citizenship law, though it will hear a raft of petitions that question the law’s constitutionality.
«It hurts the spirit of India. We are going to fight this till the end,» said Abhishek Manu Sanghvi, a senior leader from India’s main opposition Congress Party on Wednesday.
CNN’s Vedika Sud, Swati Gupta and Manveena Suri contributed reporting.
