More than a dozen people in New Delhi were killed during violent protests over a controversial Indian citizenship law, casting a shadow over Trump's first visit

The fanfare around President Donald Trump's flashy trip to India this week ended abruptly after months-long tension between Hindus and Muslims boiled over into violent clashes in New Delhi, leaving at least 13 people dead and hundreds more wounded as of Tuesday.

Widespread protests during Trump's visit were sparked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's newly Indian Citizenship law, the Citizen Amendment Act, which had been passed by India's parliament in December. The Associated Press describes this controversial law as one that offers foreign-born religious minorities and illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan accelerated paths to citizenship. It doesn't mention Muslims, though.

While the law led to demonstrations from supporters and opposition groups, protests remained peaceful.

Until earlier this week. 

'They want to turn India into a Hindu country'

Clashes between Hindus and Muslims began Sunday, turning violent as mobs marched through the streets of northeast Delhi on Monday and Tuesday as Trump and the first lady received a warm welcome on their first state visit to India. protesters carried iron rods and pickaxes, AP reported. And some protesters were armed with guns and even swords, Getty photographers noticed.

Smoke billowed in the sky after protesters, some of whom yelled the names of Hindu gods and goddesses, set a Muslim mosque, houses, a gas station, and fruit and vegetable markets ablaze, witness and local TV channels said.

Witnesses told Reuters that a tire store had also been scorched by people toting sticks and stones and Asian News International (ANI) said that schools in the area have been closed and upcoming exams delayed.

India's junior home minister G. Kishan Reddy told ANI that the bloodshed is "a conspiracy to defame India" because it coincided with and overshadowed Trump's visit, according to Reuters.

But some protesters said that Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is provoking the violence and targeting Muslims.

"We have no weapons, but they are firing at us," Mohammad Shakir, a demonstrator told Reuters. "This BJP is targeting Muslims. They want to turn India into a Hindu country."

Police officer among the slain

Victims who have been taken to area hospitals have suffered bullet wounds and several have visible wounds on their heads and elsewhere on their bodies, witnesses told Reuters.

Journalists were also numbered among the victims, as some from NDTV were severely beaten Tuesday morning. The attack only stopped after the protesters realized they were "our people — Hindus," the news channel's executive editor Nidhi Razdan shared on Twitter.

A third reporter, this one from another local news outlet called JK24X7, was shot and hurt, BBC noted.

Police, who used tear gas and canes to disperse protesters across New Delhi, characterized the tense situation as under control, although additional paramilitary forces have been brought in to patrol the streets and bolster the efforts to squash the clashes.

A policeman, Head Constable Ratan Lal, was among those killed in the rampage, ANI reported on Twitter. Eleven other police officers were injured during their attempts to separate the rival groups, AP reported.

"We are deeply disturbed and concerned about what … is happening in Delhi," West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told ANI. She went on to say that "there is no place for violence" in India and appealed to people to "maintain peace."

However, this unrest was not confined to New Delhi. As of Tuesday, protesters are emerging in West Bengal and Kerala. Trump, who was given an extravagant welcome just two days prior, is no longer welcome, protesters indicated.

'He wants people to have religious freedom'

When asked about the worst violence New Delhi has seen in decades, Trump, who called Modi "the Father of India" (Mahatma Gandhi already holds that moniker), defended the prime minister at a press conference at the end of his two-day tour, according to the Hill.

"The prime minister was incredible in what he told me. He wants people to have religious freedom and very strongly," Trump said. "He said that, in India, they have worked very hard to have great and open religious freedom. And if you look back and you look at what's going on, relative to other places especially, but they have really worked hard on religious freedom."

The president refused to comment on the new law, according to AP.

"I don't want to discuss that," he said. "I want to leave that to India and hopefully they're going to make the right decision for the people."

But not everyone sees the situation the same way.

'Temporary symbol of hate'

Indian historian and novelist Mukul Kesavan penned an op-ed in the Telegraph, calling the citizenship law "a modern Inquisition aimed solely at India's Muslims."

He went on to say that despite being "couched in the language of refuge and seemingly directed at foreigners," the law's "main purpose is the de-legitimization of Muslim citizenship."

At the height of the violence in New Delhi, Last Week Tonight host and political commentator John Oliver called out the law Monday, saying  that India, a de facto secular country, "frankly deserves much more than this temporary symbol of hate."

Oliver underscored the "cruel irony" of utilizing Muslim workers to build the detention camps that illegal immigrants, like themselves, will end up.

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