The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the centre asking it to respond to the more than 60 petitions challenging the validity of the controversial new citizenship law. In a brief hearing this morning a three-judge top court bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde declined to stay implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, saying "we will have to see whether the Act has to be stayed" and set January 22 as the next date of hearing in this matter.
On Tuesday, A school bus was damaged and a police booth was set on fire as clashes erupted at Seelampur in Delhi during a protest against the Citizenship Act. The police used batons and fired tear gas shells as some 2,000 protesters threw stones and set fire to vehicles. According to a senior police officer, the protest began around 1 pm, when school buses were on the roads taking children home. People from the area gathered at a prominent crossing for a protest march from Seelampur towards Jafrabad. Sources say trouble broke out when the crowd showed up a little early and was asked to disperse.
The citizenship law facilitates Indian citizenship for non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India before 2014.
