Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reacted with defiance to widespread protests against a new citizenship law, reports BBC.

The law offers citizenship to non-Muslims from three nearby countries.

The government says it will protect people from persecution, but critics say its part of a “Hindu nationalist” agenda to marginalise India’s Muslims.

Mr Modi said the law “will have no effect on citizens of India including Hindus, Muslims, Sikh, Jain, Christian and Buddhists”.

Mr Modi also told his supporters at a rally on Tuesday that the opposition was “spreading lies and rumours”, “instigating violence” and “used its full force to create an atmosphere of illusion and falsehood”.

Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the sentiment to media saying “both my government and I are firm like a rock that we will not budge or go back on the citizenship protests”.

There have been demonstrations in cities across India.

Some of those protesting see the law as discriminatory, others – particularly in border states – fear being “overrun” by new arrivals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The capital Delhi has seen mass protest over the past days after a student protest on Sunday turned violent and left dozens injured.

On Tuesday, images from the city’s Seelampur area, which has a strong Muslim population, showed stone-throwing crowds confronting police officers. Police retaliated with tear gas and batons.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to hear a petition against the police action inside Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University, where on Sunday they allegedly attacked students inside campus premises.