A protest against the amended citizenship Act turned violent in northeast Delhi's Seelampur area as demonstrators pelted stones at police personnel who fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
The protesters also set a police booth on fire. The police are using drones to monitor the situation. According to a senior police officer, the protest began around 12 pm and the people from the area gathered at Seelampur T-point.
Residents of the area said that the agitation began as a peaceful protest but turned violent.
"It started as a peaceful protest against the citizenship bill ... but got out of hand," resident Azib Aman told Reuters.
Twenty-one people, including 12 policemen and six civilians, were injured in violence that erupted during the protest, police said. According to a police officer, two FIRs have also been registered at Seelampur and Jafrabad police stations in connection with the violence.
Three personnel of Rapid Action Force (RAF) were injured, the officer said.
Cars were damaged and roads strewn with rocks while small fires on the road sent smoke into the air. Small groups of youth, some with their faces covered, threw stones and bottles.
The protesters raised slogans against the Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the government. The 66-feet road from Seelampur to Jafrabad (both carriageways) has been closed due to demonstration.
Entry and exit gates of Seelampur and Gokulpuri have been closed. Trains will not be halting at these stations. Earlier, DMRC closed Welcome, Jaffrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur metro stations.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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