India protests: Modi government cracks down on phone, internet as death toll rises

Law passed on December 11 gives people from persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries easier path to citizenship – unless they are Muslim

Internet shutdowns are a favoured tactic for Modi’s government. Authorities have interrupted internet services at least 102 times so far this year

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Activists of the Youth Forum for Kashmir burn an Indian flag with pictures of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:24pm, 21 Dec 2019Updated: 9:03am, 22 Dec 2019

Indian authorities have stepped up phone and mobile internet shutdowns in some parts of the country in an effort to thwart a groundswell of protests over a new citizenship law that excludes Muslims.

Thousands of people joined rallies on Saturday, with 23 killed so far in the unrest, police said. The death toll jumped after demonstrations turned violent on Friday in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, leaving at least 11 dead including an eight-year-old boy, who was trampled.

On Saturday more protests began in cities including Chennai, capital of southern Tamil Nadu state, and Patna in eastern Bihar state. Crowds were also expected again in the national capital New Delhi.

Disquiet has been growing about the law, which was passed by parliament on December 11 and gives people from persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries an easier path to citizenship – but not if they are Muslim. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist agenda, a claim his political party has denied.

“This piece of legislation strikes at the heart of the Constitution, seeking to make India another country altogether,” prominent historian Ramachandra Guha wrote in an Indian newspaper, The Telegraph, after being detained and then released for protesting in the southern city of Bangalore. “It is thus that so many people from so many different walks of life have raised their voices against it.”