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4 killed, nearly 60 injured during clashes in northeast Delhi over CAA
Lt Governor Anil Baijal tweeted soon after that he had instructed Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to restore the law and order situation. Later in the evening, home secretary Ajay Bhalla told reporters that the situation had been brought under control.
The death toll in the violent clashes between those protesting for and against the amended citizenship law in North-East district of Delhi rose to four on Monday, personnel at hospitals where the injured were taken said.
Among those who were killed is a head constable of Delhi Police and 60 others were also injured in the riots as police struggled to disperse the crowds with both sides hurling stones at each other.
The was severe damage to public property as window panes of buildings around a Metro station were smashed by the mob.
“Some incidents of violence and arson have been reported in the areas of North East District, particularly in the areas of Maujpur, Kardampuri, Chand Bagh and Dayalpur. It is appealed to the people of Delhi and particularly to the North East District to maintain peace and harmony and not to believe in any false rumours,” the police said in a statement.
WATCH | Delhi violence: Cop killed, houses & cars set on fire as protestors clash
“It is also appealed to the media not to circulate any disturbing pictures which may further aggravate the situation. Delhi Police is making every effort to restore normalcy. Section 144 has been imposed in the affected areas of North East district and strict action will be taken against miscreants and anti-social elements,” they added.
Several political leaders, including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP’s Manoj Tiwari and Congress’ Rahul Gandhi have tweeted appealing for peace.
Lt Governor Anil Baijal also tweeted he had instructed Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik to restore the law and order in the violence-hit area. Later in the evening, home secretary Ajay Bhalla told reporters that the situation had been brought under control.
Head constable Ratan Lal’s death was the first one to be confirmed.
Kejriwal, who tweeted the first SOS message to the Centre, condoled his death, reminding people that “he was one of us too”.
“Please give up violence. Nobody benefits from this,” he said.
It wasn’t his first appeal of the day after clashes were reported in parts of Jaffrabad, Maujpur and Gokulpuri of the district.
A protester told Hindustan Times that many of the injured were being treated by local doctors rather than go to a hospital for fear that they would be the first ones to be arrested when the police get down to identifying the attackers.
Doctors at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital said earlier 17 people had been brought in so far from east Delhi, around seven of them with a bullet injury.
The Union home ministry hasn’t formally shared its assessment of the clashes but one senior official did indicate that the government believed the timing of the violence could be linked to US President Donald Trump’s visit.
Trump, who landed in Gujarat for a roadshow and a joint address with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a newly-constructed cricket stadium, the world’s largest, has reached national capital.
It is being apprehended, according to this version, that the violence was aimed at drawing international attention.
But people, who have been protesting the citizenship law at Shaheen Bagh in south Delhi and northeast Delhi, alleged the violence was designed to malign the peaceful protests that had been continuing against the citizenship law.
Monday’s violence is the second round of clashes. A group supporting CAA had on Sunday protested the blockade by those demonstrating against the law a kilometre away, setting off stone-throwing.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra, who lost the Model Town seat in the Delhi assembly elections, had issued a call to gather pro-CAA protesters on Sunday afternoon.
Later he posted a video, a senior police officer stood next to him, giving the police an “ultimatum” to clear the anti-CAA 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,” Mishra said in the video.
“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 to you [police] to clear Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh... If not, we’ll have to take to the streets,” he had said.
Mishra on Monday evening blamed anti-CAA protesters for the violence after the clashes erupted and even went to the extent of claiming that religious places were being targeted by rioters.
Eventually, in an appeal aimed at anti- and pro-CAA groups, he tweeted an appeal for peace.
