Intense violence rocks Northeast Delhi as protesters for and against the controversial citizenship law clashed and threw stones at each other, set vehicles and shops on fire.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah called for an urgent meeting of top officials of Delhi over the Jaffrabad violence, which started as pro and anti-CAA groups clashed. Meanwhile, Home Secretary A.K. Bhalla said that the agencies are keeping a close watch on the situation and the necessary arrangements have been done to restore peace in the area.
According to top placed sources in the Home Ministry, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were in Ahmedabad to welcome US President Donald Trump, the violence at Jaffrabad, Bhajanpura, Maujpur, Dayalpur and Gokulpuri area intensified. Since Trump will be in Delhi on Monday, the Home Minister himself took charge to control the situation in the capital.
Five people, including a cop, were killed and nearly 100 were injured in Monday’s unprecedented violence. Around 20 police personnel were injured and have been hospitalised. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a late-night meeting with the Delhi police chief, the Union Home Secretary and other senior officials. Three firefighters have been injured after a group of people set a fire engine ablaze and threw stones at another. The violence began on Monday hours before United States President Donald Trump, was expected in the capital.
Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal has called an urgent meeting of MLAs and officials from the violence-hit areas. He tweeted, “I am very worried about the prevailing situation in certain parts of Delhi. All of us together should make all efforts to restore peace in our city. I again urge everyone to shun violence.”
While stones are being thrown in several northeast Delhi neighbourhoods such as Maujpur, the fire department has been getting more SOS calls. Three firefighters have been injured after a group of people set a fire engine ablaze and threw stones at another. In Maujpur, passengers travelling in an e-rickshaw were thrashed and looted of their valuables this morning. “The situation is very tense. We are continuously receiving calls related to incidents of violence from northeast Delhi,” Delhi Police said in a statement.
Government sources said the violence in the national capital appears to have been “orchestrated” by some for publicity as it comes at a time when Donald Trump is visiting the country.
Delhi Metro has closed the Jaffrabad, Maujpur-Babarpur, Gokulpuri, Johri Enclave and Shiv Vihar stations.
Large gatherings have been banned in northeast Delhi under Section 144. They have also been imposed outside Delhi Police Headquarters after calls for protest marches by the JNU Students Union.