Three dead as protests against Muslim land law turn violent in eastern India

KOLKATA, India: Protesters angered by a new law on land use they say discriminates against Muslims set fire to police vehicles in Kolkata, capital of India’s West Bengal State, on Monday after a weekend of violence claimed three lives, authorities said.

The unrest began in the Murshidabad district, where Muslim protesters set fire to shopping malls, attacked a Hindu home and stabbed two people on Saturday, police said, forcing authorities to suspend internet services in the area. On Monday, protesters in the Bhangar area of Kolkata clashed with police after officers stopped a protest rally. A major highway was blocked by protesters during the disturbances.