Lawlessness, disorder as protesters run riot in North-east Delhi

The communal clashes, leaving a policeman and four civilians dead, and at least 75 injured, pointed to lapses in law enforcement and came just a few hours before US President Donald Trump landed in the Capital.

Two groups, one opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and largely composed of Muslims, and another, supporting the new law and mostly made up of Hindus, both armed with guns, swords, stones, sticks, rods, and petrol bombs, clashed in North-east Delhi on Monday, leaving a policeman and four civilians dead, and at least 75 injured.

Vehicles set ablaze as protestors throw brick-bats during clashes between a group of anti-CAA protestors and supporters of the new citizenship act, at Jafrabad in north-east Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

The communal clashes pointed to lapses in law enforcement and came just a few hours before US President Donald Trump landed in the Capital. Home ministry officials familiar with the matter said the clashes seemed to have been orchestrated to coincide with the high-profile visit, although home secretary Ajay Bhalla refused to speculate on the issue. He said the situation was under control. “Sufficient forces have been deployed; senior officers are in the field,” he told reporters.

Still, the intensity of the violence – among the worst scenes of rioting in the Capital since the 1984 anti-Sikh violence — seems to have taken the police by surprise. The clashes, in Jafrabad, neighbouring Maujpur and several other places in the vicinity, escalated rapidly, but weren’t entirely unexpected — given how the rapid eruption of protests across the city, and the ongoing 71-day blockade at Shaheen Bagh — have converted parts of the city into virtual time bombs.

Jafrabad is the site of a sit-in protest against CAA, much like the bigger one at Shaheen Bagh, where protesters have blocked off one of the main roads linking Delhi with its satellite city, Noida, for around two months. The Delhi Police and the Union home ministry, in charge of law enforcement in the city-state, have allowed the blockade at Shaheen Bagh to continue, despite the inconvenience to commuters on a daily basis and, more importantly, the prospect of impending violence should a pro-CAA group decide to launch a counter protest at the same venue.

On Monday, that’s just what happened in Jafrabad and its environs, plunging parts of North-east Delhi into lawlessness and chaos.

Vehicles, shops and houses were set afire on the second consecutive day of rioting between those supporting the amended citizenship law and its opponents, but questions remained on why the police let the situation spin out of control in an area that has been simmering for weeks and boiling over for at least the past two days. On Sunday, pro- and anti-CAA groups threw stones at each other.

On Monday, both groups came better prepared. They ran amok. At least five Delhi Metro stations suspended operations due to the violence.

Dramatic footage on television news channels showed deserted roads strewn with stones. In one of the clips, a person can be seen approaching a policeman while pointing a pistol at him, turning to another direction in the nick of time and then firing a few rounds in the air.

Until 2pm, the violence was limited to mobs pelting stones and the police using tear gas shells against them. But after that, mobs torched several cars and motorcycles, and targeted houses and shops.

Around 5pm, rioters set ablaze a tent that had been serving as a protest site for some anti-CAA protesters in Kardampuri, a neighbourhood close to Babarpur. In Bhajanpura, a fuel station and a transformer were torched.

Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy assured action against those involved in the violence. “My deepest condolences to the family of the Delhi Police Head Constable who lost his life amidst the protests in Delhi. Our @narendramodi government condemns all forms of violence and we assure a stern action against the culprits,” he tweeted.

The police were yet make any arrest for Monday’s violence till the filing of this report, though they identified and detained some of the suspects.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Centre to maintain peace. “Very distressing news regarding disturbance of peace and harmony in parts of Delhi coming in. I sincerely urge Hon’ble LG n Hon’ble Union Home Minister to restore law and order n ensure that peace and harmony is maintained,” he tweeted.

Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) Anil Baijal, who functions under the Union home ministry, said he has instructed the Delhi Police to maintain law and order. “The situation is being closely monitored. I urge everyone to exercise restraint for maintenance of peace and harmony,” he posted.

North-east Delhi has emerged as the latest flash point on CAA, which has triggered violent, and at times deadly, demonstrations across the country since December. Shaheen Bagh has so far been the epicentre of anti-CAA protests in the city, which has also witnessed clashes between the police and students of the Jamia Millia Islamia over the legislation.

On Monday, Supreme Court appointed interlocutors submitted their report on Shaheen Bagh to the apex court. The court will hear the matter again on February 26.

Rattan Lal, 42, a head constable, was killed in the violence that broke out around 10am and continued late into the evening. Lal was hit in the head by a stone, according to the police. Several policemen, including Shahdara deputy commissioner of police Amit Sharma, were injured in the clashes.

All four civilians who died in the clashes had gunshot wounds, according to officials of the GTB Hospital, where they had been admitted. No further details were immediately available.

There was heavy stone-pelting in Maujpur, where shops and houses came under attack. Violence also flared up in Jafrabad and the police baton-charged mobs. The 1km stretch between these two places remained tense throughout the day. A Muslim shrine at Chand Bagh was set on fire around 1pm, the fire department said.

As the clashes broke out, the pro-CAA group played patriotic songs on loudspeakers in the middle of the street. Also, during a face-off, the rival groups chanted religious slogans.

“Around 1.30am on Monday, a large group entered some of our homes and attacked us. We had to deploy two men outside each building for the rest of the night,” said a Maujpur resident who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The police fired tear gas shells to quell people protesting on the streets. According to officials, a fire tender was damaged by the protesters after it responded to a call from the area.

The police’s response came under the scanner, and also raised questions as to why security personnel were unable to keep apart the pro- and anti-CAA demonstrators. Alok Kumar, joint commissioner of police (eastern range), however, said heavy police presence prevented further escalation of the situation.

Former Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Vikram Singh said the violence was preventable.

“The reports are disturbing. I think we are seeing something like this in Delhi after 1984 anti-Sikh riots. There were groups protesting against each other so why did not the police not take action? The police allowed the trouble-mongers to gather and gave them time to do what they did,” Singh said.

According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), five stations on the Pink Line that connects Majlis Park with Shiv Vihar — Jafrabad, Maujpur-Babarpur, Gokulpuri, Johari Enclave and Shiv Vihar — were closed down around 5pm.

Later at night, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said all government and private schools will be shut in violence-affected North East Delhi district on Tuesday. He also requested the Centre to postpone Tuesday’s board examinations.

A fire was reported at a tyre market in Gokulpuri around 9pm, with some saying the blaze could be the result of scattered fires that have been reported from the area due to the protests. There was no official confirmation though. Around 30 fire-tenders were rushed to the spot.

North-east Delhi has been tense since Saturday night, when anti-CAA protesters blocked the Jafrabad Road, which runs underneath the Jafrabad Metro station. On Sunday, the police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged the protesters who put up the blockade. While pro- and anti-CAA protesters clashed in the area, the police said they were trying to ascertain the identity of those involved in the violence.

Tension spiralled after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra demanded that the police remove the protesters within three days.

“They want the situation in Delhi to remain volatile. That’s why they [anti-CAA protesters] are blocking roads and creating a riot-like atmosphere. We have not picked up a single stone till now. We will wait till [US President Donald] Trump is here [in Delhi]. But after that, we won’t even listen to you [the police] if the roads aren’t cleared. We are appealing you [police] to clear Jafrabad and Chand Bagh till Trump leaves. If not, we’ll have to take to the streets,” Mishra said in a video.

And after Monday’s violence, Mishra appealed for peace. “I appeal to everyone to stop violence as it will not lead to any solution. Whether it is people who are supporting CAA or those who are against it, I appeal everyone to maintain peace. Delhi’s brotherhood should remain intact,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.