Lawlessness, disorder as protesters run riot
NEW DELHI: Two groups, one opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and largely composed of Muslims, and another, supporting the new law and mostly made up of Hindus, both armed with guns, swords, stones, sticks, rods, and petrol bombs, clashed in North-east Delhi on Monday, leaving a policeman and four civilians dead, and at least 75 injured.
The communal clashes pointed to lapses in law enforcement and came just a few hours before US President Donald Trump landed in the Capital. Home ministry officials familiar with the matter said the clashes seemed to have been orchestrated to coincide with the highprofile visit, although home secretary Ajay Bhalla refused to speculate on the issue. He said the situation was under control.
“Sufficient forces have been deployed; senior officers are in the field,” he told reporters.
Still, the intensity of the violence – among the worst scenes of rioting in the Capital since the 1984 anti-Sikh violence — seems to have taken the police by surprise. The clashes, in Jafrabad, neighbouring Maujpur and several
other places in the vicinity, escalated rapidly, but weren’t entirely unexpected — given how the rapid eruption of protests across the city, and the ongoing 71-day blockade at Shaheen Bagh — have converted parts of the city into virtual time bombs.
Jafrabad is the site of a sit-in
protest against CAA, much like the bigger one at Shaheen Bagh, where protesters have blocked off one of the main roads linking Delhi with its satellite city, Noida, for around two months.
The Delhi Police and the Union home ministry, in charge of law enforcement in the city-state, have allowed the blockade at Shaheen Bagh to continue, despite the inconvenience to commuters on a daily basis and, more importantly, the prospect of impending violence should a pro CAA group decide to launch a counter protest at the same venue.
On Monday, that’s just what happened in Jafrabad and its environs, plunging parts of North-east Delhi into lawlessness and chaos.
Vehicles, shops and houses were set afire on the second consecutive day of rioting between those supporting the amended citizenship law and its opponents, but questions remained on why the police let the situation spin out of control in an area that has been simmering for weeks and boiling over for at least the past two days. On Sunday, pro- and anti-CAA groups threw stones at each other.
On Monday, both groups came better prepared. They ran amok. At least five Delhi Metro stations suspended operations due to the violence.
Dramatic footage on television news channels showed deserted roads strewn with stones. In one of the clips, a person can be seen approaching a policeman while pointing a pistol at him, turning to another direction in the nick of time and then firing a few rounds in the air.
Until 2pm, the violence was limited to mobs pelting stones and the police using tear gas shells against them. But after that, mobs torched several cars and motorcycles, and targeted houses and shops.
Around 5pm, rioters set ablaze a tent that had been serving as a protest site for some anti-CAA protesters in Kardampuri, a neighbourhood close to Babarpur. In Bhajanpura, a fuel station and a transformer were torched.
Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy assured action against those involved in the violence. “My deepest condolences to the family of the Delhi Police Head Constable who lost his life amidst the protests in Delhi. Our @narendramodi government condemns all forms of violence and we assure a stern action against the culprits,” he tweeted.
The police were yet make any arrest for Monday’s violence till the filing of this report, though they identified and detained some of the suspects.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to maintain peace. “Very distressing news regarding disturbance of peace and harmony in parts of Delhi coming in. I sincerely urge Hon’ble LG n Hon’ble Union Home Minister to restore law and order n ensure that peace and harmony is maintained,” he tweeted.
Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) Anil Baijal, who functions under the Union home ministry, said he has instructed the Delhi Police to maintain law and order. “The situation is being closely monitored. I urge everyone to exercise restraint for maintenance of peace and harmony,” he posted.
North-east Delhi has emerged as the latest flash point on CAA.