Battered Capital counts its dead
DEATH TOLL 27 killed over 3 days of communal riots, at least 14 from gunshot wounds; more than 330 people injured NSA TAKES CHARGE Situation under control after Doval steps in, speaks to locals in riot-hit areas, assures action
NEWDELHI: The death toll from the communal riots in Delhi rose to 27 on Wednesday but security forces appeared to regain control of the battered areas after National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval stepped in and led teams of senior police officers to riot-hit localities in the city’s north-east, three days after violence first began and turned into the deadliest riots seen in the Capital in over three decades.
The situation also played out in the political and judicial arenas, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing for calm in his first reaction to the violence, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi calling for the resignation of home minister Amit Shah for the police’s failure to contain the violence, and Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal blaming “outsiders” and “politics of hate”; and hearings on the issue in both the Delhi HC and the Supreme Court.
“The situation is under control and people are satisfied. We have confidence in law enforcement agencies. Police is doing their job and is alert,” Doval said while on his second visit since he first reached the region shortly before midnight on Tuesday. When scared residents asked him what lay ahead, he tried to assuage their fears: “Inshallah, there will be peace.”
In all, at least 330 people have injuries. Of the 27 dead, at least 14 had bullet wounds, said authorities at the two main hospitals where the victims were taken.
Overnight, the NSA held emergency meetings that included special commissioner SN Srivastava and other senior officers of the Delhi Police. Doval later met Union home minister Amit Shah, to whom the Delhi Police reports.
On Wednesday, Doval held a second meeting with the police brass before he and several of the officers fanned out to the stricken neighbourhoods.
Peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times
NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister
The CWC is of the firm opinion that what has happened... is a colossal failure of duty for which the entire responsibility must be borne by the Central government
SONIA GANDHI,
Congress chief
Police also accessed localities that had been too volatile to reach since late Sunday, marching through what resembled a war zone as buildings stood covered in soot from petrol bombs, streets were dotted with the twisted, molten remains of burnt vehicles, and the ground lay littered with bricks and stones used by mobs as projectiles against each other.
The trail of destruction included homes, businesses, mosques, schools, and commercial buildings.
“I saw my house being set ablaze by a mob. I still have not been able to go inside to assess the damage,” said Suresh Kaushik, standing in knee-deep water outside his house after firefighters put the flames out. RESIDENTS FLEE With security reaching these parts for the first time, dozens of families that had locked themselves in emerged with luggage to head to safer parts of the city.
“I was on my terrace; I could see men on the other side burning a vehicle and pelting stones.
We asked police forces to escort us to our relative’s house safely and even when they helped us leave our house, the men were walking threateningly towards us and asking the personnel to just move aside for a bit,” said Abdul Majid, a resident of Shiv Vihar.
Some of the violence, such as the one witnessed by Majid, continued on Wednesday – though the violence had abated significantly.
“We are in the process of identifying the miscreants through investigations of CCTV footages and other strong evidences we have,” said MS Randhawa, the police’s public relations officer.
Till Wednesday, he added, 106 people were arrested and 18 first information reports (FIR) registered.
Randhawa appealed to the public to share information or problems they face on the police telephone number-112. He gave out two additional numbers for people from the north-east district to reach out to for assistance – 22829334, 22829335.
“I appeal to the public not to believe in rumours. The situation has been brought under control by the Delhi Police. We are continuously patrolling the area and I assure you that we will take strong action against any antisocial elements or miscreants creating trouble in the area,” he added.