Citizenship Act face-off: Northeast Delhi toll now 13 dead, 186 injured

LATEST:

New Delhi: Taking account of the widespread violence in North-East Delhi, the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik reached Seelampur area on Tuesday night.

The two had a meeting with DCP North-East to discuss ways to restore normalcy in the region.

The meeting between the top officials continued for about half an hour as a DCP rank officer told IANS the meeting began at 11:15 p.m. and ended at around 11:45 p.m.

It was at mid-night that the two top officers reached the area after three days of continuous violence that led to 13 deaths and 186 injuries, while several houses and vehicles were vandalised and set ablaze by the rioters.

Earlier in the day, a shoot-at-sight order was issued in the affected areas, police sources said on Tuesday.

According to sources in Delhi Police’s North-East district department, the shoot-at-sight order was announced in Yamuna Vihar area.

Several localities, including Chand Bagh, Bhajanpura, Maujpur-Babarpur, and Jaffrabad witnessed violence as pro- and anti-CAA protesters clashed.

EARLIER STORIES:

New Delhi (IANS): Thirteen people have lost their lives in the violence in North-East Delhi, while 186 people have been reported injured, the GTB Hospital said on Tuesday.

The identity of the deceased has not been made public as of now by the authorities, while the Delhi Police said that 56 policemen were among the injured.

Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference, Delhi Police spokesperson, ACP Mandeep Singh Randhawa said that 10 people had died while 186 people injured in the violence which erupted on Sunday.

Randhawa also claimed that the situation is under control in Jafrabad, Gokulpuri, and Maujpur areas as the police and government are alert and security has been beefed up in the areas.

He said that of 186 injured, 56 are policemen and condition of DCP Amit Sharma and the Gokulpuri ACP, who are under treatment, is critical.

As of now 11 FIRs have been registered in this regard and several arrests have been made, the ACP said.

Additional police forces and paramilitary forces have been deployed while senior Delhi Police officials are also present at the spot to tackle the situation.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have issued orders to shoot-at-sight in violence-hit parts.

New Delhi: Security beefed up at Maujpur in east Delhi where sporadic incidents of stone pelting between anti and pro-CAA groups broke a relative lull in tension over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, on Feb 23, 2020. Maujpur is near Jaffrabad, where anti-CAA protesters had barricaded the road since Saturday night in support of the bandh call given by Chandrasekhar Azad of Bhim Army against the CAA. Metro stations have been shut down in the area as a precautionary measure. (Photo: IANS)

Police on Tuesday fired in the air after the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters pelted stones on police vehicles in northeast Delhi.

The situation in the area remained tense since morning as number of shops were gutted in the fire Monday’s violence.

The firing by the police started after the anti-CAA protesters pelted stones on Vajra riot vehicles.

The police first fired tear gas shells to disperse the heavy crowd protesting near the Jaffrabad metro station.

But when they saw that the situation was going out of control they opened fire in the air.

The police had already made adequate security arrangements in the area following Monday’s violence with the paramilitary and Rapid action Force (RAF).

The police chased the protesters away from the Jaffrabad metro premises.

Around 70-80 rounds of bullets were fired by the police to disperse the heavy crowd.

On Monday, there were reports of violence and arson from the areas as Delhi Police confirmed that seven people, including a police head constable, had died in the rioting that has continued sporadically across several localities since Saturday.

Rioters used stones, sticks and country-made firearms as pro- and anti-CAA demonstrators clashed.

The number of injured persons is also piling up at the GTB hospital in northeast Delhi.

TRUMP’S VISIT

THE US media did not mince words in highlighting the violence in Delhi around the Citizenship (Amendment) Act amid US President Donald Trump’s two-day India trip, even as the Indian media gave a vast and expansive coverage to Trump’s first-ever standalone tour.

Some of the write-ups published in leading US media outlets spoke in detail about the tension and violence that has gripped east Delhi since Sunday that started with a clash between pro and anti-CAA groups, resulting in the death of 10 people, including a policeman.

Even as Trump refused to comment on the CAA, citing it as India’s internal matter, the US media has described the new citizenship law — being opposed by a section of people in India — as “anti-Muslim”.

“Wrapping up a two-day trip to India, President Trump declined on Tuesday to condemn India’s new citizenship law, which discriminates against Muslims…” was the opening line of a news piece in a major American newspaper.

The CAA has been a major bone of contention in the Indian political circles since it was passed by Parliament in December last year.

India has witnessed violent protests across the country, with many claiming the the Act “discriminates” against the Muslims as it seeks to provide citizenship to only non-Muslims of Pakistani, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have faced persecution in those Muslim-majority countries.

The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly stated that Muslims in India won’t be affected by the CAA. However, the assurance has failed to do anything significant to quell the fears.

On Tuesday, the American media said Trump seemed to have backed Modi government’s CAA, as the US President refused to criticise the Act during a press conference in New Delhi.

“Trump appeared to back Modi’s concern that the majority-Hindu country is being overrun by Muslims,” one of the reports that appeared in a leading US newspaper read.

The US media said Trump refused to answer anything on CAA when he was asked about it. “I don’t want to discuss that, and hopefully they’re going to make the right decision for the people,” he said.

Another leading US newspaper, well known for its criticism of Trump, reported the Delhi violence from a “communal” perspective.

The paper, in its report, also spoke about “Modi’s Hindu nationalism” and related this with the tension in the neighbourhoods of east Delhi.

It wrote: “The fighting in Delhi signalled a dire new phase in the country’s internal divisions under Modi.

An opinion piece by the same newspaper also discussed about a ban on Modi by the US post 2002 Gujarat riots, which was eventually lifted after he became Prime Minister in 2014.

“When he became prime minister in the spring of 2014, the travel ban was lifted, and later that year, Modi made his first triumphant visit to the United States, where he had a private dinner with President Barack Obama.”

The write-up also said: “Trump is popular in India, where 2019 polling by the Pew Research Centre found 56% of citizens expressed confidence in him to handle world affairs — one of just a half-dozen nations to register a majority on that question. In many other countries, he is more apt to draw crowds of protesters than admirers. Attendees at Monday’s rally (in Ahmedabad’s Motera) seemed dazzled.”