At least 20 killed in Delhi violence as authorities deploy drones to monitor ongoing unrest
Indian law enforcement are using drones to identify rioters involved in ongoing violence that has rocked Delhi, killing at least 20 people, according to media reports.
An estimated 20 people have been killed so far in clashes between supporters and opponents of India’s controversial citizenship law – the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Indian media reported, citing health officials. The violence, now in its third day, began on Monday as US President Donald Trump headed to the Indian capital to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Modi called for his “brothers and sisters in Delhi” to end the unrest, noting that efforts are being made to restore “calm and normalcy” in the capital.
Peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times. It is important that there is calm and normalcy is restored at the earliest.
Police have deployed small drones in the area in an effort to better monitor areas of northeast Delhi still experiencing violence. A video posted to social media purportedly shows law enforcement officers using remote controls to pilot the small aerial vehicles.
India’s CAA fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslims from three neighboring Muslim-majority nations. New Delhi has defended the law as a necessary humanitarian gesture aimed at aiding persecuted religious minorities. Critics claim the legislation is discriminatory. Anger over the new law has sparked demonstrations across the country – some of them leading to violence.
The Indian government has deployed a small army of riot police and security forces to contain the unrest. Photographs show a variety of security personnel assembling in the city’s streets.
A number of Indian police have been killed or wounded in the skirmishes, according to local media. ANI reported on Wednesday that the body of an Intelligence Bureau Officer was found in the area.
Source: RT
