CAB protesters pelted stones, police fired tear gas in Delhi's Seelampur

New Delhi: Angry protesters demanding scrapping of the amended citizenship law torched several motor bikes, pelted stones at police and damaged public buses in Northeast Delhi's Seelampur area on Tuesday, in fresh violence in the national capital.

Police resorted to baton charges and fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. Plumes of smoke billowed from at least two localities.

All entry and exit gates at Seelampur metro station, which were closed in view of violence that ensued following protests over the amended Citizenship Act on Tuesday, were opened.

"All entry & exit gates of Seelampur are open," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted. Entry and exit gates at seven metro stations in northeast Delhi were closed on Tuesday in view of the violent protest against the amended citizenship law in the Seelampur area.

Both the stations are on Pink Line. Earlier DMRC closed Welcome, Jaffrabad, Maujpur-Babarpur and Gokulpuri metro stations of the Pink Line and Seelampur of Red Line.

Police said two bikes of traffic cops were burnt by the demonstrators, adding a police booth in the area was damaged.

A large number of policemen were deployed following the violence. Police said the protesters were marching from Seelampur towards Jafrabad. Clashes erupted between police and protesters at Seelampur Chowk when the security personnel tried to stop them from moving ahead.

According to a senior police officer, the protest began at around 12 pm. The protesters raised slogans against the new law as well as the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The clashes erupted two days after violence broke out during a protest in the New Friends area in South Delhi near Jamia Millia Islamia.