E-Paper
With 5 questions, Sonia Gandhi launches sharp attack at Centre over Delhi violence
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also attacked Delhi government for failing to contain the violence.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday blamed both the Centre and the Delhi government for the violence in the national capital, and demanded immediate resignation of Union home minister Amit Shah for “colossal failure” to restore normalcy.
Addressing the media after a meeting of the party’s working committee, the Congress’ highest decision-making body, Sonia Gandhi said, “The violence was part of a systematic design; it was seen during Delhi Assembly elections too. The BJP leaders had vitiated the atmosphere of Delhi through their speeches during the elections.”
“A BJP leader again made such a remark on Sunday when he gave a three-day ultimatum to the police,” said Gandhi without naming BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who is under fire for remarks made in Northeast Delhi hours before violence broke out.
The Congress president also posed five questions for Centre: “Number 1, where was the Home Minister since Sunday and what was he doing? Number 2, where was the Delhi chief minister and what was he doing? Number 3, what information was shared by intelligence officials after Assembly polls and what action was taken on that? Number 4, tell us about the number of policemen deployed in troubled areas when it was clear that situation was deteriorating, and finally, when the situation went out of hand, why wasn’t the paramilitary force deployed?” said Gandhi in her first press conference in many years.
“It is the collective failure of the two governments that have resulted in a great tragedy in the capital city which threatens to become worse by the day,” the CWC had said in a resolution adopted at its meeting held at the party headquarters in Delhi.
The meeting, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, was also attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders AK Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia among others. However, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was not present as he is currently abroad.
The CWC resolution further said, “The Delhi Police has remained paralysed in the last 72 hours - 20 lives have been lost so far, including a head constable, and hundreds are in hospital, many with gunshot injuries.”
The resolution termed the situation grave and sought urgent action, including asking the Delhi chief minister to remain visible in the affected areas and in constant communication with the people.
“Adequate security forces must be deployed immediately to bring the situation under control. Peace committees must be formed in every mohalla consisting of members of all communities to ensure that there are no untoward incidents. Senior civil servants must be deployed in each district to take charge of the administration to ensure that the administrative machinery responds to the evolving situation,” it said.
The Opposition party appealed to the people of Delhi to reject the politics of hate and do their best in healing the rifts caused by these shameful events, to help rebuild all that has been lost and to ensure that such events do not take place ever again.
The CWC called upon all Congress workers and leaders to visit the affected areas, to extend all possible support to the families of those who have suffered as a consequence of the violence and to help build bridges between communities. “This would be the most fitting tribute to Mother India,” it added.
The death toll in the violence in Northeast Delhi violence that began on Monday has risen to 20. Among the dead was a policeman. More than 250 people have been injured in the clashes.
The worst clashes in the capital in over two decades started at the weekend but turned deadly on Monday after two groups supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA clashed with those opposing the law. The warring torched houses and vehicles in Maujpur, Jafrabad and other areas.
