Imphal, Jan 11 (IANS) At least three persons, including a police officer, were injured here on Friday in street clashes between students and police over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The students, members of six student bodies, took out a march condemning the passage of the Bill in the Lok sabha.
The bill, which seeks to grand Indian citizenship to six minority groups from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, has met with stiff resistance across the northeast.
Police said that most students who took part in the demonstration broke through the police pickets and converged at the women’s markets from different sides, all the while shouting slogans against the BJP government in Manipur and the Modi government.
Hundreds of women vendors took to the streets in response to the students’ call for protest.
Police said the demonstrators became unruly and several “mock bombs” were detonated. Some allegedly hurled bottles at the police.
O. Joyraj, a police officer in Imphal West district, was injured when a flying bottle hit him. Two students were injured in the police retaliation.
Manjit Sarangthem, President of the All Manipur Students Union, said: “There will be more agitations in the coming days if the Bill is not withdrawn. People have very little faith in political parties in the state.”
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and some Ministers and BJP MLAs left for Delhi on Thursday to apprise Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the escalating protests.
–IANS
il/mr