Sonia Gandhi forms Congress’ fact-finding panel to visit Ground Zero of Delhi violence

The Congress has been targeting the central government over violence in which 42 people have been killed and more than 300 injured.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has formed a five-member team to visit riot-affected areas in northeast Delhi. The delegation will include Mukul Wasnik, Tariq Anwar, Sushmita Dev, Shaktisinh Gohil and Kumari Selja.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi speaks to reporters after meeting President Ram Nath Kovind along with a party delegation on Thursday.(Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

The Congress delegation will visit the area and submit a detailed report to Gandhi.

The Congress has been targeting the central government over violence in which 42 people have been killed and more than 300 injured.

Gandhi led a party delegation to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday. The Congress leaders submitted a memorandum demanding Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation.

The Congress has accused Centre and Delhi government of being “mute spectators” during the violence. “Instead of taking active steps to remedy or diffuse the situation, the central government as also the newly-elected Delhi government, have remained mute spectators as completely mindless rage, designed violence and organised looting of property has continued unabated,” Gandhi told reporters after meeting the President yesterday.

The delegation consisted of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, party leaders Ahmed Patel and Randeep Surjewala.

“We called upon President to suggest to him that what has happened in last four days in Delhi is a matter of great concern and a matter of national shame in which at least 34 people have died and 200 people are injured. It is a reflection on total failure of Central government,” said Dr Singh.

The party’s highest decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), met on Wednesday and adopted a resolution condemning the violence in Delhi. Addressing a press conference after the CWC meeting, Sonia Gandhi had demanded resignation of Amit Shah.