This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-51612461
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Donald Trump in India: Three killed in Delhi protest before visit | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Three people have been killed in Delhi in protests over India's controversial new citizenship law, hours before a visit by US President Donald Trump. | |
A policeman and two Muslim civilians died in the capital's deadliest day since the new law was passed last year. | |
Vehicles were set alight in the clashes, between supporters and opponents of the law, which critics say targets India's 200 million Muslims. | |
Parts of the city remain tense as Mr Trump prepares for talks on Tuesday. | |
On Monday the US leader, who is on his first official trip to India, visited the Taj Mahal with his wife Melania. | |
Earlier in the day they had flown in to a colourful reception by huge crowds in Gujarat, the home state of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. | |
The Trump visit comes at an opportune time for Mr Modi, whose government has been under pressure in recent months. | |
Tens of thousands of people in cities across Hindu-majority India have been protesting against the new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which grants amnesty to non-Muslim immigrants from three nearby Muslim-majority countries. About 30 people have been killed in the protests. | |
Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist government says the law is to protect persecuted minorities. | |
Critics say it is part of an agenda to marginalise Muslims. | |
The violence in Muslim-majority areas in north-east Delhi began on Sunday and continued into Monday. It is the first time a member of the security forces has been killed in the unrest around India since it erupted late last year. | |
Police fired tear gas shells and led baton charges to disperse the stone-throwing crowds. Twenty-five people were injured. TV footage showed flames and smoke billowing from buildings. | |
Delhi's freshly re-elected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, called on the federal government to restore law and order. | Delhi's freshly re-elected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, called on the federal government to restore law and order. |
The capital's police force reports directly to the federal government, run by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). | The capital's police force reports directly to the federal government, run by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). |
One of its leaders had threatened a group of protesters staging a sit-in against the CAA over the weekend, telling them that they would be forcibly cleared once Donald Trump had left India. | One of its leaders had threatened a group of protesters staging a sit-in against the CAA over the weekend, telling them that they would be forcibly cleared once Donald Trump had left India. |
The new law has raised fears that India's secular status is at risk. | |
It came after Mr Modi's government revoked the partial autonomy of the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir in August, sparking protests in the Muslim-majority valley. Mobile phone connections and the internet have only been partially restored, and political leaders there are still under house arrest along with hundreds of others. | |
The two decisions have sharply polarised India, and have been questioned by leaders abroad. | |
Mr Modi and Mr Trump, who lead the world's two largest democracies, are to hold formal talks in the capital on Tuesday. | |
But amid the fanfare, a much-talked about trade deal is unlikely to happen during the Trump trip. | |
The US is one of India's most important trade partners, with bilateral trade totalling $142.6bn (£110.3bn) in 2018. The US had a $25.2bn goods and services trade deficit with India, its ninth largest trading partner in goods. | |
Despite growing political and strategic ties, there's been tension over trade issues. Mr Trump has said India's tariffs - taxes on imports - are "unacceptable", and has described India as the "king" of tariffs. | |
The US leader will raise concerns about religious freedom in India during his trip, a senior US official told reporters, calling them "extremely important to this administration", AFP news agency reports. |