Citizenship Act row: 50 Jamia students detained

The protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act rocked the national capital on Friday, with students of Jamia Millia Islamia clashing with police, leading to a lathi-charge and lobbing of tear gas shells after their march to Parliament was stopped.

At least 50 students were detained following the clash, as the march, attended by a large number of students, was stopped at the university gates. Social media users posted videos of police lathi-charging protesters.

The Delhi protests came at a time when the north-eastern states are on the boil over the Bill.

The students claimed they were marching peacefully but were lathi-charged, with tear gas being used against them to thwart their plan to march to Parliament to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, that provides non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh citizenship, while leaving out Muslims from these countries. They said the Act went against the spirit of Constitution.

Police claimed students resorted to stone-pelting and even targeted cars of commoners. Students were seen trying to climb the barricades erected by police to stop the march.

"We were marching peacefully and police stopped us from marching. First, they lathi-charged us asking us to move backwards. Then, they pelted stones in response to which students picked up stones too," Onaihza, a law student at Jamia, was quoted by PTI as saying. Police, however, denied the allegations, saying students broke and tried to jump over the barricades and threw stones at them.

Many of the students suffered injuries and were taken to a dispensary in the university campus. None of them suffered serious injuries, officials said. However, some of the students were taken to hospitals in the city. Local MLA Amanullah Khan (AAP) also reached the spot.

Earlier, the Delhi Metro closed the entry and exit to Janpath and Patel Chowk near Parliament on advise of police authorities. It was later re-opened.