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Death toll in Indian capital communal violence rises to 37

February 28, 2020

NEW DELHI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The death toll during communal violence in the Indian capital city Delhi Thursday evening rose to 37, officials said.

Over 200 people were also injured in the violence that ravaged the city for three days.

"As per records available with us until now 33 people have been declared dead here," an official at Guru Teg Bahadur hospital said. "The number of injured that we have treated is over 200. Of them, some have been discharged and some are still hospitalised."

The dead include a policeman and a junior-level official of Intelligence Bureau officer.

Officials at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital said they recorded three deaths at the hospital. One was declared dead at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital.

Police officials Thursday said the situation was under control and they were making flag marches inside the affected areas.

The violence left a trail of damage in the northeastern parts of the city as torched vehicles, vandalised shops and burnt buildings present a scray look.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="900"] People walk past burnt cars after violence ravaged New Delhi, India, Feb. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)[/caption]

Delhi Police, which has come under fierce criticism for its apparent inaction according to reports have detained over 100 people in connection with the clashes.

A lawmaker Naresh Gujral has written to federal home minister Amit Shah and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, accusing the Delhi Police of inaction and apathy while dealing with complaints during the violent clashes.

Gujral's party Shiromani Akali Dal is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Unrelenting communal violence broke out in the northeastern part of the city following which mobs armed with sticks and rods resorted to arson, looting and vandalism.

Many people especially Muslims are leaving their homes in the affected areas and taking shelter in other safer locations.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="900"] Protesters set vehicles on fire during a protest over controversial new citizenship law in New Delhi, India, Feb. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Str)[/caption]

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal meanwhile Thursday announced a number of compensation schemes for those affected and injured in the violence. He said the Delhi government will bear the costs of medical treatment of all those injured being treated in private hospitals.

"We have also started sending food supplies in curfew-affected areas," Kejriwal said.

The clashes broke out between pro- and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) groups in the northeastern part of the city on Sunday and took an ugly turn on Monday and Tuesday.

Protests against the controversial new citizenship law 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, the violence against the law has killed over 60 people across India. ■