Delhi riots Highlights: At Shiv Vihar in northeast Delhi on Monday. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)
Delhi Riots Today Highlights: A week after the national capital witnessed riots that left 47 people dead, the Delhi police has filed 436 FIRs and arrested or detained over 1,427 people, PTI reported. Slamming the Centre for lack of action, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday alleged that even now, as bodies are being recovered, the central government chooses to still remain quiet. “Why so many people were killed in Delhi? Remember, this is Bengal. What happens in Delhi, does not happen in Bengal,” Banerjee asserted.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia addressed a press conference after reviewing relief measures in northeast Delhi. “At least 427 shops were torched. I appeal to the shop owners to file FIR in order to ensure compensation reaches them and over 420 people have been injured until now,” Sisodia announced. A Delhi Assembly panel issued a Whatsapp number and an email id to complain about hate messages relating to violence being circulated on social media.
A 23-year-old identified as Shahrukh Khan, who was seen in photos and videos allegedly firing eight rounds in Maujpur during the riots was arrested from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, earlier today, by a team of the narcotics unit of the crime branch.
In other news, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Parliament House this morning, where the two discussed the situation among other things.
Delhi violence Highlights: Relief camps have been set up, compensation forms are being handed out and teams are assessing the damage. (Express Photo)
Highlights
A week after the national capital witnessed riots, the police have filed 436 FIRs and arrested or detained at least 1,427 people, Delhi police was quoted as saying by PTI.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday slammed the Centre for lack of action. She alleged that even now, as bodies are being recovered, the central government still chooses to remain quiet. "Why so many people were killed in Delhi? Remember, this is Bengal. What happens in Delhi, does not happen in Bengal," Banerjee asserted
The RAF, a specialist anti-riots unit of the CRPF summoned to handle the communal clashes in northeast Delhi, tackled over 300 incidents of fire as compared to a few cases of quelling violent protestors that is its primary charter of duty, official sources said on Tuesday. They said the blue-dungaree donning Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel rescued a number of people who were trapped inside burning houses even as they doused flames that had engulfed numerous buildings and vehicles parked on the road. (PTI)
Addressing a press conference, Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "As per data received, 427 shops have been burnt in northeast Delhi. It is my request to the shopkeepers to file FIR with the police to initiate action and ensure reimbursements. Meanwhile, over 420 people have been injured in the violence that took place in the area."
Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested a 23-year-old man, identified as Shahrukh Khan, who allegedly fired eight rounds in northeast Delhi’s Maujpur during last week’s riots while standing in front of a policeman. Khan, who had managed to flee after the incident on February 23, was nabbed from Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli by the Narcotics Unit of the Crime branch. He has been charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder), 186, and 353 of IPC and Arms Act and police is yet to recover the pistol from which he fired the shots. The police also denied any family background of criminal records.
Delhi assembly panel has issued a special Whatsapp number to complain about hate messages on social media regarding northeast Delhi violence. Complaints can either be messaged on the Whatsapp number: 8950000946 or can be mailed to dvscommittee@delhigov.in, PTI reported. On Monday, Delhi Assembly’s newly constituted ‘Peace and Harmony committee’ had said, a hate message or fake news shared via Whatsapp or social media can now lead to three years of imprisonment.
The Delhi High Court Tuesday said it would hear a plea on Friday seeking direction to the authorities to produce two persons who have been allegedly illegally detained by the police during the violence which had erupted in northeast Delhi in relation to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, PTI reported. The habeas corpus petition was listed on Monday before a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and I S Mehta. However, it will be heard on March 6 as the bench was not holding court. Habeas Corpus requires a person under arrest or illegal detention to be brought before a judge or a court.
The government is ready to have a discussion on the violence in northeast Delhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said in the House, reported news agency PTI. Both Houses of Parliament have been disrupted for two days due to protests by opposition leaders. Birla reportedly said a discussion would be taken up after the festival of Holi, which falls on Monday, March 9, before adjourning the House for the day.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has planned a protest inside the Parliament premises today over the communcal violence in Delhi. The party is demanding formation of a joint parliamentary committee and narco-test on political leaders accused of making inflammatory speeches, reports news agency PTI. This comes on the same day Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation in northeast Delhi.
Addressing leaders at a BJP parliamentary party meeting this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "peace, unity and harmony are prerequisites for development", according to a PTI report. Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2 pm earlier today, after protests against the Delhi violence by opposition parties.
Even as calm returns to riot-hit areas of Delhi, stabbings have been reported from Meghalaya. As in Delhi, the violence in Meghalaya, too, has been triggered by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The violence in Delhi and Shillong may not be the same, but in both places it was foreshadowed by polarisation on the citizenship issue. What is evident is that the government’s CAA push is reopening old religious and ethnic fault lines and threatening to push communities to the edge. The shrill rhetoric by senior government functionaries during election campaigns does not help matters. Read the entire editorial here.
Several protesters have been detained from outside Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, ahead of a planned protest. The protesters were put on buses and shifted to Jantar Mantar, where the protest will now be held.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has filed an Intervention Application in the Supreme Court of India in respect to the 2019 Citizenship (Amendment) Act. In response, India has said the CAA is an "internal matter" and concerns the "sovereign right of the Indian Parliament to make laws".
The Delhi Police has arrested a 23-year-old, identified as Shahrukh Khan, who was seen in photos and videos allegedly firing eight rounds in Maujpur during the riots, while standing right in front of a policeman. He was arrested from Uttar Pradesh by a team of the narcotics unit of the crime branch from Bareilly. Khan had previously managed to flee while the police were preoccupied with the violence.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Parliament House this morning. This is the first meeting of the two leaders since Kejriwal's election for a second term last month. The meeting also assumes significance in the wake of the Delhi riots which left at least 47 people dead.
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm amid uproad in the House. Congress and BJP MPs were engaged in heated arguments for the second consecutive day over the violence in northeast Delhi. Today's exchanges began after Union Minister Anurag Thakur got up to lay papers on the table.
Iran became the fourth Muslim-majority country to officially react to the riots in Delhi, with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif condemning the “wave of organised violence against Indian Muslims” and urging authorities to not let “senseless thuggery” prevail. Zarif, a diplomat-minister known for his careful choice of words, tweeted on Monday night: “Iran condemns the wave of organised violence against Indian Muslims. For centuries, Iran has been a friend of India. We urge Indian authorities to ensure the wellbeing of ALL Indians & not let senseless thuggery prevail. Path forward lies in peaceful dialogue and rule of law.”
The district administration has begun handing out compensation forms to people affected by the violence in northeast Delhi. Over the next few days, 18 sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) will be in the area to ensure help reaches everyone and the process to claim compensation is expedited. At the Shahdara office Monday, the civil defence volunteer on duty at the helpdesk was taking down details of those who are applying for compensation. By 3 pm, Monday’s list had 180 names and claims. Mallica Joshi reports.
Inside narrow lanes singed by communal riots, relief and recovery vans have started rolling in, along with teams of the local administration assessing damage and handing out compensation forms to people. A week after the city witnessed violence that left 47 dead, efforts by the administration have started to take a cohesive shape. What, however, continues to elude the impoverished working class neighbourhoods is a sustained political outreach, leaving members of both two communities more distanced than ever before. Read Sourav Roy Barman's ground report.