Thousands of Indians ushered in the New Year by demonstrating against a citizenship law despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to dampen
protests that have run for nearly three weeks.
![India celebrates New Years Eve with protests against citizenship law](https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/reuters.com/bc64f30d7922f3e3886e411b5b0678e1)
The protests have rocked
India since Dec. 12, when the government passed legislation easing the way for non-Muslim minorities from neighboring Muslim-majority nations of
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan to gain Indian citizenship.
Combined with opposition to a proposed national register of citizens, many Indians fear the law will discriminate against minority Muslims and chip away at India's secular constitution.