New Delhi:
A peace meeting organised by the state assembly’s ‘peace and harmony’ committee in riot-hit north-east Delhi on Thursday saw legislators from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) join hands, for the first time since the violence last week, to spread the message of brotherhood and love among locals.
“All eight BJP MLAs of Delhi have strongly stood with us throughout this past one week after the tragedy. Now it is your duty to take this message of brotherhood and peace to every lane of your neighbourhood, start talking to the residents and make them talk to each other. The fears and tensions will ease only through dialogue,” said AAP’s Seelampur MLA Abdul Rehman while demanding additional police deployment during Holika dahan on Monday.
AAP MLA from Greater Kailash and chairperson of the committee, Saurabh Bharadwaj, told the audience it was BJP’s Ghonda MLA Ajay Mahawar who had proposed to organise the peace meeting. Haji Yunus, AAP’s Mustafabad MLA, asked people to rise above religion and honour the ‘Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb’ (composite culture) of the country.
The meeting, held in Delhi University’s Dr. BR Ambedkar College, was attended by religious leaders from different communities, local social workers and councillors, Delhi police, revenue and fire officials, and legislators of Karawal Nagar, Mustafabad, Gokalpuri, Ghonda and Seelampur assembly constituencies. Environment minister and Babarpur MLA Gopal Rai was not present. The riots, which claimed 53 lives and left over 400 injured, took place in these six assembly segments. While the MLAs of Mustafabad, Babarpur, Gokalpuri (a SC reserved seat) and Seelampur are from AAP, those from Ghonda and Karawal Nagar are from the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}The meeting, held in Delhi University’s Dr. BR Ambedkar College, was attended by religious leaders from different communities, local social workers and councillors, Delhi police, revenue and fire officials, and legislators of Karawal Nagar, Mustafabad, Gokalpuri, Ghonda and Seelampur assembly constituencies. Environment minister and Babarpur MLA Gopal Rai was not present. The riots, which claimed 53 lives and left over 400 injured, took place in these six assembly segments. While the MLAs of Mustafabad, Babarpur, Gokalpuri (a SC reserved seat) and Seelampur are from AAP, those from Ghonda and Karawal Nagar are from the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}Special commissioner of police (crime) Satish Golcha said over 650 FIRs have been registered so far. “Strictest action will be taken against those proven guilty. Police will give full support in issuing documents to victims claiming compensation,” he said.
BJP leader and Karawal Nagar MLA Mohan Singh Bisht said the riots were the worst he has seen as a Delhi legislator. “I have been an MLA since 1998 and no incident comes close to what the city witnessed between March 22 and 25. I urge all Imams to convey the message of peace in every mosques during Firday prayers,” Bisht said.
Faheem Baig, a resident of Seelampur and a local activist, told the panel about the delay in action being taken by various agencies. “Had this meeting happened earlier, then the accounts of murders, loot and arson would not have been so high,” he said.