The death toll reached 35 in Delhi violence which started 3 days ago. Meanwhile, in an unprecedented Midnight hearing, the High court ordered the shifting of injured from Mustafabad’s Al-Hind hospital to safe places and directed the DCP to protect the ambulance during this process. 67 companies of Paramilitary and Police personnel were deployed in many areas of the North-East district of Delhi. Section 144 has been imposed in the district for a month. National security advisor, Ajit Doval visited the area midnight and briefed PrimeMinisterover it.
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Since, last December protest across India are ongoing against citizenship Amendment Act and NRC, joining the same series of protest, on the night of 22nd February 2020 more than 500 women organized a sit-in protest at Seelampur Jafrabad stretch, which is located in North-East district of Delhi, while protesting, protestors blocked the road and entry and exit of Seelampur metro station. The next day a protest was organized against these people and in support of CAA. At one of such protests a local BJP leader, Kapil Mishra said in presence of a DCP that“if you are not able to remove these people, then we will do so after Mr. Trump leaves the country”. A local councilor filed an FIR against Kapil Mishra for the incitement of violence. The situation was very critical but the police were not deployed commensurately.
On 24th February, violent friction started between two groups at Jafrabad and the Maujpur area of Delhi. Pro CAA protestors and anti-CAA protesters hurled stones at each other and many were injured, bullets were also fired incessantly from both side and many people received fatal bullet injuries. Amid this one Police head constable, Mr. Ratan Lal, succumbed to injuries in hospital and one DCP and ACP also received severe injuries and admitted to ICU. Police also retaliated with Lathi charge and tear gas shells. Violence later spread to Seelampur, Jafrabad, Kardampuri, Babarpur, Gokulpuri and Shivpur area, many vehicles were set on fire. Despite this much violence, the police were unable to control the situation and on the next day, again incidents of stone-pelting were reported. People were roaming on roads with stones, iron rods and petrol bombs.
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A mosque in Ashok Nagar area was vandalized by a group of people sloganeering Jai Shri Ram, shops near the area were looted, another group was spotted beating a person and dragging him on the road while sloganeering Allah u Akbar. Even the journalist was not spared by the mob and many incidents of heckling and beating journalists were reported. A journalist from JK 24 cross 7 was shot while he was reporting in the Maujpur area. Two journalists from NDTV were beaten brutally by the rioters when they were recording the arson or near the mosque area.
Some journalists from Times Now also shared the same problem. A motorbike of a journalist from Hindustan times was set on fire by miscreants and after torching his bike mob thrashed him and snatched his camera and memory card. Another incident is reported by a journalist of Indian express, an article is published in Indian express according to which journalist Shivnarayan Rajpurohit shared his experience and quoted that “A man in his 40s walked up to me and asked: “Who are you? What are you doing here?” I introduced myself as a journalist. “Give me your notebook.” He flipped through it and found nothing suspicious, except several phone numbers and my observation of the locality. “You can’t report from here,” he threatened and consigned my notebook into the burning heap of bakery items. I was spared momentarily until another mob followed me. A man, seemingly in his 50s, removed my spectacles, stepped on them and slapped me twice for “reporting from a Hindu-dominated area”. They checked my press card. “Shivnarayan Rajpurohit, hmm, Hindu ho? bach gym”. Not satisfied, they wanted more proof whether I was a real Hindu. “Bolo Jai Shri Ram”.This was a severe jolt on the freedom of the press in which India is already going down. At 10:00 p.m. on 25th February, curfew was imposed in these areas and the order of shoot at sight was issued.
violence was not only spreading on the roads of Delhi but also it was taking place on twitter and other social media platforms. Many conflicting hashtags were trending on Twitter, netizens were trying to justify the acts of the group whom they support and instead of cooling the situation many people were trying to fuel the fire. As on 26 February, Jamia students gathered in front of Arvind Kejriwal’s house and demanding action against those involved in the violence. Also, Delhi chief minister at home minister to bring in the army to control the situation, he twitted “Situation is alarming. Police, despite all its efforts, is unable to control the situation and instill confidence.
The army should be called in and curfew should be imposed in the rest of the affected areas immediately. I am writing to the Home Minister to this effect,”. Also, Delhi Former L-G reacted on this and said “Why has no action has been taken so far against Kapil Mishra? He has instigated and initiated the whole thing and should be held responsible for the deaths reported so far. His property should be confiscated and he should be made to compensate, however marginally, the families of the victims,”. Amid this, The Delhi High Court directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to provide a long-term solution for conducting examinations violence in areas of North East Delhi, CBSE a day before postponed the board examination in this area. Currently, the situation is very tense and needs to treated carefully.