The time to ask for peace, to appeal for calm is over’

Shashi Tharoor says armed forces should step in to control the situation

The violence in Delhi reminds Indians of their country’s darkest days — the 2002 Gujarat riots, eminent Indian politician and writer Shashi Tharoor has said.

“For many of us, it’s a matter of despair that such a thing should even happen in a country like ours, in the 21st century. We are genuinely very upset about this, and I have already called publicly for decisive action,” Tharoor told Gulf News while on a visit to the capital late Wednesday.

“The time to ask for peace, to appeal for calm, that time is over. We are now unfortunately in a situation in which we have to ask for peace to be imposed. If it can’t be done by the police, then the armed forces should step in; [they] really need to do something serious about this,” he urged.

Tharoor is in Abu Dhabi to attend the Hay Festival Abu

Dhabi, which is running until today. Tharoor, a Member of Parliament in India’s Lok Sabha, told attendees at the festival that he has been following the situation in Delhi.

“Over the last couple of days, it’s really spiralled out of control. We believe that irresponsible elements who have been making inflammatory speeches have created an atmosphere in which people have felt they should resort to violence,” Tharoor said.

Need for decisive action

Violence is not an answer to anything, and if you don’t like the protests, there are various processes under way.”

Shashi Tharoor

| Congress leader

“People are in hospital in a bad condition. Even a journalist has been shot. Other journalists have reported being attacked, having their phones and cameras taken. It’s been really, really unpleasant,” Tharoor said.

He however stressed that the

protests against the CAA had been peaceful.

“The protests were peaceful. The argument that because the protests were inconveniencing some people that they felt provoked into conducting violence is completely unacceptable. Violence is not an answer to anything, and if you don’t like the protests, there are various processes under way,” he said.

“I certainly hope that decisive action will be taken, and that of course those who provoked all this be apprehended and punished,” Tharoor added.

“It reminds people of the darkest days, for example the riots in Gujarat,” he added.

Tharoor also appeared optimistic that the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act will eventually be deemed unconstitutional.