Daily US Times, Delhi: The number of deaths in Delhi violence rose to 32 on Thursday, with more than 250 injured. One died in Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital and two people had earlier died at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital today.
Some areas of Northeast Delhi like Jafrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh is relatively calm today, where violence broke out on Monday and continued till Tuesday evening.
Delhi Police and security forces are conducting flag marches in the area to monitor the situation. All the security personnel are equipped with riot gears and the area is under prohibitory orders till March 24.
After three days of violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made his first public statement, calling for “peace and brotherhood”. Home Minister Amit Shah also heavily criticized for his failure to control the violence, has held multiple review meetings. Police have filed 18 FIRs and arrested 106 people in connection with Delhi violence, which police claimed is now under control.
The latest violence was started after a leader from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kapil Sharma, incited a Hindu mob to violently remove a group of Muslims who were blocking a road in north-west Delhi in protest against the citizenship act.
Both groups began throwing stones and attacking each other, which further escalated the violence.
This week’s battles have seen mobs armed with swords, guns, and acid raze parts of Northeast Delhi. The protests were triggered by protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA.
Since the Modi government passed a new citizenship amendment act, which grants citizenship for refugees of every major South Asian religion except Muslims, in December, protest broke out in Delhi and then several parts of India. The protest turned violent several times before, but the last four days were the bloodiest days yet.
BBC reporter Nicola Careem saw Muslim residents in Mustafabad leaving their homes with bags and bundles of their belongings, fearing further clashes.
The attacks on Muslim properties continued on Wednesday morning. Some local Hindus were seen patrolling the area to protect the mosque and offered to shelter Muslim families to keep them safe.
On Tuesday afternoon, a violent Hindu mob of around 500 men attacked a mosque in Ashok Nagar, broke down the doors and set the Saffron flag, the official flag of Hinduism in the minar and then set the mosque on fire. Later in the evening, another mosque and Muslims shops were burned down the mob.
Judge who criticised cops gets transferred
A furious Delhi High Court has urged police to file FIRs against those making hateful and inflammatory speeches. The observation came after speeches made by four BJP leaders, including Union Minister Anurag Thakur and local leader Kapil Mishra (whose rally in northeast Delhi on Sunday afternoon has been accused of inciting violence), were played in open court, prompting Justice S Muralidhar to assert “the court would not allow another 1984 scenario”. the judge also criticised Delhi Police and the center over the handling of the situation.
Jus a day later, Justice S Muralidhar, has been transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Official sources call it a routine transfer recommended by a Supreme Court panel two weeks ago.