An MP from the BJP ally Shiromani Akali Dal has alleged that his call to police was ignored on Wednesday as he sought help on behalf of an acquaintance from the minority community when the communal violence was raging in northeast Delhi.
SAD MP Naresh Gujral alleged that the Delhi Police's "inaction" towards protecting the lives and properties of minorities during the 3-day violence is "reminiscent" of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
In a letter to Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik, Gujral he has said that at around 11:30 pm on Wednesday, he received a call from an acquaintance from the minority community that he and 15 others were trapped in a house near Gonda Chowk in Maujpur. The house was surrounded by rioters and the occupants needed immediate help as the mob was trying to break in, Gujral said.
Gujral, the son of former prime minister IK Gujral, said he called the police for assistance and introduced himself as a member of parliament, and hoped that the distressed people would have got help.
"However, much to my disappointment, no action was taken on my complaint and the 16 individuals received no assistance from the Delhi Police. They, fortunately, managed to escape only because some Hindu neighbours came to their rescue," Gujral said in the letter, also marked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.
"If this is the situation when an MP makes a complaint personally, it is not surprising that certain parts of Delhi continue to burn while the police stand by apathetically," he wrote in his letter.
The Rajya Sabha MP said minorities in certain parts of Delhi are "frightened".
"Because their lives and properties have not been protected by the Delhi Police, which is very similar to what we saw in 1984. It's shocking," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
"When a member of parliament's complaint is not paid heed to, one can imagine the plight of the common man. No sane Indian wants a repeat of 1984," Gujral said.
The Shiromani Akali Dal is an ally of the BJP and has one minister in the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.