Delhi
The death toll from four days of sectarian violence in India’s capital has risen to 38, making it the worst religious rioting Delhi has seen in more than three decades. Over 200 people have been injured, dozens of them shot, as mostly-Hindu supporters of a controversial new citizenship law seen as discriminatory against the country’s minority Muslim population clash with opponents.
Despite assurances from government and police officials Wednesday that the situation was under control, new clashes were reported early Thursday morning, and the death toll continued to rise sharply. Residents in the hardest-hit neighbourhoods have told CBS News they’re afraid to leave their homes.
The violence prompted the U.S. Embassy in India to issue an advisory for American citizens in the capital city, urging them to “exercise caution,” “keep a low profile” and “avoid all areas with demonstrations.”
In Washington, the U.S. government’s Commission on International Religious Freedom condemned the “brutal and unchecked violence” in Delhi and urged the Indian government to “take serious efforts to protect Muslims and others targeted by mob violence.”
India’s External Affairs Ministry dismissed the commission’s comments as “factually inaccurate and misleading,” and said they appeared to be “aimed at politicizing the issue.”—CBS News
