‘Jan 26 violence, NE riots national security matters’

In a joint affidavit filed before the Delhi high court on Thursday, the Centre and LG said that in both the incidents, protests arose due to two central government legislations.

The Centre and Delhi’s lieutenant governor (LG) have defended the decision to appoint special public prosecutors in cases related to last year’s violence during a tractor rally on Republic Day and the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying the incidents could not have been left to the city government because they were issues of national security.

The Delhi riots left at least 53 people dead. (AFP)

In a joint affidavit filed before the Delhi high court on Thursday, the Centre and LG said that in both the incidents, protests arose due to two central government legislations. It also said the cases were “highly sensitive ” and related to “public order” which is excluded from the purview of the Delhi government.

The response came on a plea by the Delhi government challenging the LG’s July 23, 2021 decision appointing lawyers chosen by Delhi Police as special prosecutors. The government contended that “appointment of SPPs” is routine and not an exceptional matter for which reference to the President can be made, and the LG had no sound reason for referring the matter to the President when the government had agreed to appoint independent prosecutors.

On Friday, the matter could not be heard as the judge was on leave.

The affidavit said that the Union government has a “direct interest” in any matter concerning the two laws (CAA and the now repealed three farm laws), more particularly because these matters apart from “being highly sensitive, have attracted a lot of international attention”.