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There were dead and wounded in the protests that took place in the Indian capital, New Delhi, Monday, against the rejection of the citizenship law, which coincided with the first day of US President Donald Trump's visit to India.
Reuters news agency quoted a hospital official as saying that at least five people were killed, and that about 90 others were injured during the protests that turned into clashes in the Indian capital yesterday.
"Some of those who were taken to the hospital are injured by gunshot wounds," said the official at Guru Tig Bahadur Hospital.
India has been witnessing massive protests since last December against the nationality law pushed by the Hindu national government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which allows the naturalization of millions of non-Muslim immigrants from three neighboring countries, and his opponents say he is excluding Muslims and is part of the Modi program to reshape India "As a Hindu nation."
Thousands went out yesterday in demonstrations against the law, which were met by other demonstrations in support of it, and clashes took place between the two teams that lasted for several hours.
The police used tear gas and smoke bombs in an attempt to disperse the crowds, while the pro and anti sides of the law exchanged stones and turned a wide street to the battlefield with stones, less than 20 km from the Trump and Modi talks venue to be held in the capital
The clashes erupted shortly before the start of the first official visit of US President Donald Trump to India.
At the start of the visit, Trump praised the Indian Prime Minister, describing him as an "exceptional leader", in a speech to a huge gathering of more than 100,000 people at a new cricket stadium in Ahmedabad in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The gathering was held under the slogan "Greetings to Trump" (Namaste Trump in Hindi), and the American President and his host stressed the good personal relations between them despite the trade differences between the two countries.
"Relations between India and the United States are no longer just a partnership like any other, it is a much deeper and larger relationship," Modi said.
For his part, Trump said, "America loves India. America respects India and will always be a loyal and loyal friend of the Indian people."
Despite criticism of the Modi government and its policies regarding human rights, the US President said, "India is a country that prides itself on having freedom, individual rights, the rule of law, and the dignity of every human being."