India rocked by fresh protests against 'anti-Muslim' citizenship law

A woman shouts slogans during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, a bill approved by India's cabinet to give citizenship to religious minorities persecuted in neighboring Muslim countries, in Guwahati, India, December 5, 2019. REUTERS/Anuwar Hazarika

India has been hit by fresh protests amid mounting anger over a controversial citizenship bill that critics say will marginalise Muslims.

Under the law, non-Muslim migrants from three Muslim-majority countries – Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh – will be entitled to citizenship if they face religious persecution.

On Monday universities across the country resumed demonstrations after six people were earlier killed in Assam, in the northeast, when police clashed with demonstrators.

Fresh protests also broke out in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and the capital New Delhi, where as many as 100 people were injured.

India police storm Jamia, AMU to break citizenship law protests https://t.co/g89xanVplE pic.twitter.com/uGp9opf1NT

  Al Jazeera News (@AJENews) December 16, 2019

A huge rally led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her ruling Trinamool Congress party was being held in West Bengal state.

Internet services remained suspended Monday in several cities where protests were taking place.

Some 200 million of India's population of 1.3 billion are Muslims. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who says he is not anti-Muslim, insists the citizenship law is "1,000 percent correct".