Northeast Delhi Violence: More Civilians Killed, Death Toll at 42

Security personnel, including paramilitary forces, conducted flag marches in several riot-hit areas on Wednesday.

Police personnel have been deployed after clashes broke out between pro- and anti-CAA groups in northeast Delhi.

(Photo: PTI)

Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim, Vishal Kumar

The death toll from the clashes over the amended citizenship law in northeast Delhi has increased to 42, reported ANI.

Security personnel, including paramilitary forces, conducted flag marches in the riot-hit areas of Chandbagh, Jaffrabad, Bhajanpura, Yamuna Vihar and Maujpur on Wednesday.

In violence-hit areas, mobs roamed unchecked through the streets, burning shops, pelting stones and threatening locals, as fresh violence tore through northeast Delhi.

Rioters Set Shops Ablaze in Chandbagh

As violence continued to rage in northeast Delhi, rioters set shops on fire and pelted stones in the Chandbagh area on Tuesday, 25 February.

Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd in the area, where paramilitary forces were also deployed to bring the situation under control, PTI reported.

Rioters also set a bakery and several fruits carts on fire. The rioters damaged two fire tenders in Gokulpuri, while crowds raising incendiary slogans set on fire fruit carts and rickshaws in Maujpur, PTI reported.

Jaffrabad, Northeast Delhi.

Chandbagh, Northeast Delhi.

Khajuri Khas, Northeast Delhi

Maujpur, Northeast Delhi

PM Modi Breaks Silence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and appealed for “peace” and said that he had an “extensive review on the situation prevailing in various parts of Delhi” and appealed to people to maintain “peace and brotherhood at all times.”

His statement came after Congress President Sonia Gandhi slammed the BJP-led government over the situation in the capital and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, prices of vegetable and milk in some pockets of the violence-hit northeast Delhi, have gone up as shops remained shut amid a curfew-like situation in the region.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to advice the police commissioner on lodging of FIRs against alleged hate speech by three BJP leaders in connection with the CAA violence.

Court Holds Hearing After Midnight

The Delhi High Court held a special hearing late on Tuesday night, which started at 12:30 am at the residence of Justice Muralidhar. The hearing commenced after the HC received a call from an advocate, detailing the “dire circumstances” wherein it was not possible to move victims from a small hospital to the GTB Hospital.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Anup J Bhambhani termed as “extremely unfortunate” the killing of IB officer, allegedly, in the ongoing violence in which around 20 people have died and over 180 injured.

Earlier on Monday, as the violence continued unabated, police officials said the situation was under control and flag marches were conducted in Bhajanpura, Khajuri Khas and other places.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik and others on Tuesday to address the situation.

The meeting concluded with a proposal asking workers of political parties to join hands to restore peace, and it also proposed the reactivation of peace committees in all localities.

In scenes not seen in the national capital for decades, frenzied groups thrashed people on the road and vandalised vehicles.

Mediapersons also came under attack during the violence. Akshay, a journalist with JK 24X7 News, sustained a bullet injury and was in a serious condition in hospital. Three reporters from NDTV were allegedly also beaten and punched by rioters.

Many other journalists were heckled and told to go back. Schools were shut and fearful residents stayed indoors as restless crowds roamed the streets, seemingly unmindful of prohibitory orders restricting the assembly of more than four people imposed on Monday.

Residents of NE Delhi Recount Horror

"There is hardly any police presence in the area. Rioters are running around threatening people, vandalising shops. Families need to be evacuated. We are unsafe in our own homes," said a resident of Maujpur, requesting anonymity.

Another added that this is the first time in 35 years – possibly since the 1984 anti-Sikh riots – that he has seen a situation such as this. "The area had always remained peaceful," he told PTI.

Also killed was Mohammad Furkan from Kardampuri, near Jafrabad, who got married in 2014 and has two children. His brother, Mohammed Imran, overcome with grief, said they were both in the handicrafts business.

“He had gone to get some food for his children. Someone told me he had been shot. I couldn’t believe it as I had met him barely an hour earlier. I kept calling him... I then rushed to GTB Hospital where I was told that he is dead,” he told reporters, sobbing inconsolably outside the hospital.

Imran blamed BJP leader Kapil Mishra's tweet, giving Delhi Police an ultimatum to clear the streets of protesters and saying people would be quiet only until Trump is in India.

“Before that everything was peaceful,” he said.

"Stop this madness," he said after visiting the injured in GTB Hospital.

“I have met the people who were injured, also met some people who sustained bullet injuries. The biggest concern is to stop the violence. I appeal to everyone to stop the violence,” he said.

On Monday, a civilian, identified as 25-year-old Shahid Alvi, was killed amid clashes over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in northeast Delhi, hours after a Delhi Police head constable and a civilian, Mohammad Furqan, were killed.

Alvi, an auto driver and was hit by a bullet during the violent clashes while he was returning from a programme. The incident took place in Mustafabad’s Gali Number 17.

(With inputs from PTI)