Act against rising communal rhetoric in Delhi

The primary responsibility for keeping the peace lies with the BJP, as the ruling party at the Centre. It must rein in local elements at the forefront of the politics of hate

In early 2020, the national Capital witnessed its bloodiest riots in 25 years. The riots happened soon after prolonged protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, a polarised election with communal rhetoric, and the failure of the law and order machinery to anticipate and then tackle the violence. Justice for the riot victims remains elusive, and there are serious questions about the investigation process and whether it is being used to frame dissenters and let the culpable get away. But at the core of it, the riots showed that Hindu-Muslim relations in Delhi are fragile.

In this file photo from February 26, 2020, firefighters stand near a fire rescue vehicle as they douse burnt-out market premises. In early 2020, the national Capital witnessed its bloodiest riots in 25 years. The riots happened soon after prolonged protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, a polarised election with communal rhetoric, and the failure of the law and order machinery to anticipate and then tackle the violence. (AFP)

And that is why recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for all political parties in Delhi, the Delhi government and the Delhi Police, which reports to the ministry of home affairs. On Friday, a resident federation of the capital’s Dwarka locality organised a mahapanchayat against the construction of a Haj house and wrote a letter to the lieutenant-governor, warning of riots; local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are active in the campaign. On Sunday, a former city BJP office-bearer organised a rally at Jantar Mantar, ostensibly to demand a uniform civil code. But reports and video footage show that this was marked by hate speech, targeted at Muslims, and a mob trying to force a journalist to chant a religious slogan. The police, on Monday, filed a first information report against “unknown persons” for the slogans.

The primary responsibility for keeping the peace lies with the BJP, as the ruling party at the Centre. It must rein in local elements at the forefront of the politics of hate. The Delhi Police has a new commissioner in Rakesh Asthana, who must prove his professional credentials by cracking down early on such potentially volatile incidents. And the Aam Aadmi Party, which governs Delhi, must play a constructive role, along with all local stakeholders, Hindu and Muslim alike, in building trust.