All Hell Breaks Loose In India As Violent Protests Spread After Citizenship Law

As central banks ramp up money printing to prevent the global economy from crashing, we’ve been documenting an alarming surge of social upheavals erupting across the world in 2019.

The latest unrest is spreading across India like wildfire after the Modi government passed a new law that grants citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from three Muslim-majority countries but doesn’t give Muslim migrants from those countries citizenship, reported Al Jazeera.

Called the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), the new measure was passed last week and grants citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who have been persecuted for their faith.

Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and Parsis from the three eligible countries will automatically be given citizenship if they have illegally entered the country. 

So here’s where things get complicated. Rights groups and a Muslim political party have gone bonkers over the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi isn’t allowing Muslim migrants from the three country’s who have illegally entered India – a path towards citizenship. They say the bill violates India’s constitution that prohibits religious discrimination.

As a result of the bill, demonstrations have broken out across the country, including in New Delhi and various large cities in several states. 

Protest against #CitizenAmendmentBill in India is getting intense and aggressive with each day. #CABPolitics #assamprotests pic.twitter.com/5MtauNaryz

— Global Politics🌏 (@Globalpoliticss) December 15, 2019

Anti-Citizen Amendment Act protest turns violent in #Delhi.#ITVideo
More videos: https://t.co/wMGGKJy9GN pic.twitter.com/WV5vCfR4LI

— India Today (@IndiaToday) December 15, 2019

India: Delhi metro station JMI closed due to protests against the new Citizenship Act | Dec 14 2019 pic.twitter.com/ZVRruoZzXq

— redball (@redball2) December 14, 2019

#narendramodi #bjp is this a new India where no one can protest against Govt.???#rahulghandi pic.twitter.com/c7pfzKWTQ8

— takhia dolo (@takhiadolo1) December 12, 2019

RT News is reporting that demonstrations have turned violent with protesters setting busses, trains, and buildings on fire. 

7 trains have been torched in Bengal causing a loss of about 50 crores.

Traitors & infiltrators causing loss of life & property must be shot at Sight.

IAS deserter @naukarshah who is one of the instigators of the so called protests must be brought to justice by @NIA_India pic.twitter.com/iCVw0tUKKJ

— LiberatePOK (@LiberatePOK) December 15, 2019

This is not Indian Occupied Kashmir!!

This is at NH-117 at Howrah near Kolkata, India.A protest against CitizenshipAct is increasing.#FreeIoK #KashmirGenocide #KashmirBleeds #KillerModhi #HitlerModhi #CitizenshipAct#DeltaFoxtrot#TeamPakistanStrategicForum pic.twitter.com/8zIaEhi9kz

— Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) December 15, 2019

Protests against controversial citizenship law in India If minorities and states cannot get citizenship, let freedom be one nation cannot bear another nation’s right to live is the right of all.#IndianStatesWantFreedom @majorgauravarya @narendramodi #CitizenshipAmendmentAct pic.twitter.com/7l1JBMS6sT

— Mohammad Ahsan Kaleem (@Mohamma75519811) December 14, 2019

Protests are clashing with police. 

Modi disintegrating India into pieces as voilent protests have been reported from accross the country.#IndianStatesWantFreedom #ModiStateTerrorismInKashmir pic.twitter.com/gM1PIzFQtT

— Ihsan Ktk (@IhsanKt00008448) December 14, 2019

Al Jazeera states the epicenter of the unrest is based in the northeastern state of Assam. 

Thread of Protests all over India against #CitizenAmendmentBill2019 #CitizenshipBill#CABProtest
1st -Assam (1/4)

P.S : These vms are via SOCIAL MEDIA and so I cannot claim to be 100% accurate about the place and date. pic.twitter.com/Jx4ZgoSxA0

— DConquered (@DConquered) December 11, 2019

The death toll is now at six, including four protests shot by police. About 85 people have been arrested and 2,000 taken into custody by Assam Police in the last several days. 

Protesters set buses on fire at New Friends Colony in New Delhi.#CitizenshipAmendmentAct

More on NDTV 24×7 and https://t.co/Fbzw6mR9Q5 pic.twitter.com/rqa3s5faBX

— NDTV (@ndtv) December 15, 2019

Violent protests have spread to the neighboring state of West Bengal, protesters there have set fire to piles of tires, blocked highways, and torched vehicles. 

#CitizenshipAmendmentAct #CitizenshipAmendmentBill #india #hindu #CitizenshipBill
Before u protest watch this video. CAB protestors are different from these terrorists… https://t.co/7YzfUxiQob

Another video – pic.twitter.com/SqJfILw7aS

— Sujith Kumar Palani ™️ (@MangoGuySujit) December 15, 2019

This is our India.
This is the way to protest
😑😑😑#IslieNRC #Nfc #burningDelhi pic.twitter.com/GP17yvrDBm

— VISHAL THAKUR (@vishal16309) December 15, 2019

Riot police were deployed to several eastern states on Sunday. 

The Modi government had to of known of the social ramifications of passing the new law. Perhaps, it’s a perfect distraction from the economic slowdown in the country. Or maybe, if the unrest persists, it could be used by the government to scapegoat the country waning economy.