BJP leader on Wednesday took to Twitter to say that the Indian Express report on charge sheet of Constable Ratan Lal’s murder by rioting anti-Hindu mob in February this year is misleading and a deliberate attempt to spread malicious rumour against him.
Mishra was referring to the Indian Express report titled “Witness in Delhi Riots Chargesheet: ‘I heard people shouting Kapil Mishra’s men set pandal on fire’” wherein one witness identified as Najam ul Hasan who had heard the rumour that a pandal has been set on fire by Mishra’s men but not seen the incident, was referred to as an ‘important witness’ to cast aspersions that Mishra incited the riots.
Indian Express’ report on Constable Ratan Lal’s murder charge sheet
The headline of the article mentions only part of his statement where he only “heard” people shouting that Mishra’s men had set a pandal on fire. Not that he never saw any such incident.
The Indian Express in later part of the report mentions how Hasan’s statement itself says that he did not see any of Mishra’s men setting any pandal on fire. He only heard the rumours.
Hasan’s statement
Interestingly, while Indian Express chose to cast aspersions on Mishra over rumours someone heard about a pandal being set on fire, the same reporters choose to refer to a meeting the same witness Hasan attended as an ‘alleged meeting’.
Indian Express quoting Hasan’s statement on Bindra
Advocate D S Bindra, who was hailed by media for organising langar at Shaheen Bagh and other protest sites, was mentioned by Hasan in his statement as having told the Muslims to ‘wake up now’ or they will meet ‘same fate as Sikhs in 1984’. In 1984, following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, widespread riots took place in India where Sikhs were specifically targeted by mobs especially led by Congress leaders. Congress leader Sajjan Kumar is convicted and currently serving life term for his role in 1984 Anti-Sikh riots.
Indian Express also chooses not to mention that Advocate DS Bindra is an AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) leader. In fact, Indian Express claims that while Bindra and Swaraj India leader and former AAP cofounder Yogendra Yadav were named in the charge sheet for alleged “links” to “organisers of the (Chand Bagh) protest site”. Indian Express chooses not to disclose that the charge sheet categorically mentions, “The accused persons further combinedly disclosed that along with them D.S Bindra, Dr. Rizwan, Athar, Shahdab, Upasna, Tabbsum, Ravish and others were involved in the conspiracy behind the ChandBagh riots.”
Another accused, Mohd Saleem Khan (Organiser of the Chand Bagh protest) had revealed that about two months ago, DS Bindra had started community kitchen at service road, Wazirabad road, ChandBagh. Because of the community kitchen, a rather large crowd used to assemble there. He, along with Salman Siddiqui, Dr Rizwan, Salim Munna and others used to visit the community kitchen. DS Bindra instigated him and other Muslims to oppose CAA/NRC strongly and he stressed that people should come on the road to show their dissent.
The chargesheet also categorically states that the conspirators “were fully aware that violence may ensue and had accordingly directed the protestors to arm themselves”.
However, Indian Express chose to turn a blind eye to all these facts in the charge sheet.
News18 in its report mentioned how the Delhi Police SIT has mentioned in the charge sheet that a rumour was spread in Mishra’s name that a pandal which was set up to protest against the CAA and NRC was set on fire by Mishra’s men.
However, by the time this report was published, News18 has deleted the report without any explanation.