At least 27 people have been killed and 200 others have been wounded in the New Delhi during violent clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups over a new citizenship law, as fresh rounds violence erupted in two localities of East Delhi on Wednesday, Hindustan Times reported.
20 people died and nearly 200 others were wounded in the first two days of violence, the director of the hospital where people were taken, told AFP on Wednesday.
Sixty people had suffered gunshot wounds, according to the director Sunil Kumar.
Meanwhile, the capital’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the army should be called in and a curfew should also be imposed in the rest of the affected areas.
According to India Today, curfew was imposed in four areas of North East Delhi — Maujpur, Jaffrabad, Chand Bagh and Karawal Nagar.
Additionally, the report added that a shoot-at-sight order was issued on Tuesday evening in the clash-hit areas.
Police characterised the situation as tense but under control. Schools remained closed, and a ban on assembly continued.
“The situation is relatively better than yesterday in the violence hit areas,” the director of the Delhi fire department Atul Garg told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that the fire department had stationed additional vehicles in the area and senior officials are camping there.
“There are no rioters on the streets and our vehicles have been able to reach the area,” he said.
All Metro stations in the city have been reopened.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is closely following the situation in New Delhi, First Post reported.
His spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief had stressed that demonstrators should be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and security forces should show restraint.
“I think it’s very important that demonstrators be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and that security forces show restraint. This is the SG’s constant position,” he said, adding that they were “obviously” following the situation closely.
Separately, India’s Supreme Court has termed the clashes as “unfortunate” while refusing to entertain pleas on them saying that it was for a high court to take note of the matter, The Print reported quoting PTI.
Protests against a contentious citizenship law on Sunday descended on Monday and Tuesday into running battles between Hindus and Muslims, with rioters armed with stones, swords and even guns out in force.
Reuters witnesses saw mobs wielding sticks, pipes and stones walking down streets in parts of northeast Delhi on Tuesday, amid incidents of arson, looting and stone-throwing.
