in via di traduzione
Anti-CAA: What led to peaceful protests turning violent in Delhi
New Delhi: What had been peaceful sit-in protests
against the CAA-NRC-NPR triad in various Delhi localities, mainly led by
women, suddenly saw violence breaking out on the streets on Sunday and
continued through Monday. According to PTI, one constable has died in the violence.
What happened suddenly? More so at a time when the country is hosting
US president Donald Trump and security has been beefed up in Delhi where
he is supposed to land on Monday.
It is no happenstance that Sunday’s “inflammatory” speech by Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra against anti-CAA (Citizenship
Amendment Act) protesters, leading pro-CAA protesters in Jaffrabad
coincided with the outbreak of violence.
In several videos doing the rounds on Monday, senior police personnel
can be seen standing and
listening to Mishra’s speech. Even when Hindutva outfits were seen attacking the largely minority protesters, video footage shows police personnel, too, pelting stones at them, suggesting complicity in triggering violence, leading to reaction from a section of the protesters.
listening to Mishra’s speech. Even when Hindutva outfits were seen attacking the largely minority protesters, video footage shows police personnel, too, pelting stones at them, suggesting complicity in triggering violence, leading to reaction from a section of the protesters.
As clashes continued on Monday, the police opened tear gas shell fire
to disperse the crowd in Maujpur amid simultaneously efforts to pacify
the two groups. Incidentally, in some areas, video footage also showed
some police personnel pelting stones.
As the violence threatens to take a communal colour, something that has
left Delhi untouched so far, let’s take a look at how a peaceful
anti-CAA protest turned violent.
On Sunday, BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s inflammatory speech against
anti-CAA protesters, Northeast Delhi localities—Maujpur, Jaffrabad and
Chand Bagh—saw tension and violence leading to heavy stone-pelting
between two groups (those who are supporting and opposing the
contentious citizenship legislation).
Meanwhile, tension escalated in Northeast Delhi with clashes between
two groups continuing and protesters allegedly torching at least two
houses and a fire tender in the Jaffrabad and Maujpur areas.
Violence was also reported from the Chandbagh area in Jaffrabad.
Protesters at Chand Bagh were lathi-charged at around 12:10 PM. “The
police did not even spare women and children; several of them have
suffered injuries,” some agitators told NewsClick.
It started after Mishra on Sunday staged an aggressive protest near
Maujpur red light against the road blockade at Jaffrabad by anti-CAA
protesters and gave the Delhi Police “three days’ ultimatum” to clear
the roads in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. “We will be peaceful until
(United States President Donald) Trump leaves. We won’t listen to you
(the Delhi Police) after that if the roads are not cleared. We will have
to hit the streets,” he was seen telling a senior cop standing next to
him.
Three hours ahead of the clashes on Sunday afternoon, Mishra had
tweeted, asking people to gather at Maujpur at 3 PM “to give an answer
to Jaffrabad”. “We will hit the streets in support of Jaffarabad. You
all are invited,” he had tweeted in Hindi, saying, “They want to cut off
35 lakh people by blocking the roads. Is this the way to protest
against anything? We will not allow the area to be turned into Shaheen
Bagh”.
After he left the spot, provoking the crowd amid aggressive chants of
objectionable slogans, heavy stone-pelting began at Maujpur. Several
shops and vehicles were vandalised. Fifteen people, including six
policemen and two video journalists, suffered injuries. Though the
police and paramilitary forces managed to restore calm by late evening,
situation continued to remain tense.
Meanwhile, people (thousands of women and men) still continue to
protest in the Jaffrabad metro station area against the CAA. After
police intervention, one of the carriageways, going towards Gokulpuri
and connecting with Wazirabad and GT Karnal Road, was opened and a rope
was placed to let the two-way traffic pass.
Clashes broke out at Jaffrabad on Sunday afternoon at around 3:30 pm
when a group of people supporting the legislation reached the
Maujpur-Baburpur metro station, which is less than a kilometre from
Jaffrabad, demanding that the police remove the barricades. The group
assembled at Maujpur chowk, next to Jaffrabad, and started shouting
slogans. Suddenly, stone-pelting began between the two sides.
Video footage from Maujpur red light showed protesters throwing stones
at each other across a road, standing close to the police barricades.
After the situation began getting out of control, the police, half an
hour later, said it had to fire several shots of tear gas shells and
“use force” to disperse the crowd.
Once the situation was brought under control, the police and
paramilitary personnel conducted a flag march in the area and appealed
to the people to maintain restraint.
Tension was simmering in Jaffrabad since Saturday night when local
anti-CAA protesters blocked the main road. Hundreds of men and women
gathered under the metro station in Jaffrabad around 11 PM on Saturday.
The police tried to disperse them, but could not evict the protesters.
The crowd swelled on Sunday morning. One of the carriageways, going
towards Gokulpuri and connecting with Wazirabad and GT Karnal Road, was
opened after police intervention and a rope was placed to let two-way
traffic pass.
The protesters tried to set up a stage, but the police swiftly removed
them. By 10 AM, heavy police and paramilitary forces were deployed in
the area.
The clashes, which broke out at around 4 PM at Maujpur and Jaffarabad,
continued intermittently till 5 PM. The police then conducted a flag
march and created a buffer zone between the two protesting groups,
deploying more than 800 personnel to prevent contact.
Though the stone-pelting stopped by around 5:30 PM, provocative slogans
continued near the Maujpur-Barbarpur metro station from both the sides.
During this, the anti-CAA protesters towards the Jaffrabad side had
used ropes to block one side of the road to prevent clashes from
breaking out.
Joint Commissioner (Eastern Range) Alok Kumar said, “The situation is
under control now, but many people are on the street. We are
continuously speaking to the local leaders so that peace prevails in the
area.”
He further said that four cases have been registered in connection with
the incidents of violence that occurred on February 23 at different
locations across Delhi.
By Sunday noon, the protest had spread to adjacent localities in
Northeast Delhi like Khureji, Maujpur and Chand Bagh. Chand Bagh, which
was completely peaceful until then, witnessed stone-pelting in
retaliation to the alleged provocation by pro-CAA protesters. But it was
quickly contained by elders, according to local sources.
South Delhi’s Hauz Rani (also the venue of an indefinite sit-in against
the CAA) and Malviya Nagar also witnessed “brutal” police action
against anti-CAA protesters last night.
“At first, I could not understand what is happening. After I adjusted
my specs to look around, I saw a young policeman, as young as my son,
hitting me on my knees and legs,” a 60-odd year old lady told NewsClick, narrating the events during the police crackdown on the protesters at Hauz Rani.
Wiping her tears, a 12-year-old girl said, “Police uncle ne bahut maara, hum sirf khade the, hath mein haath pakde ek dusre ka (the police uncle thrashed us, we were just standing, holding each others’ hands).”
Trouble started brewing on late Sunday night in another Northeast Delhi
locality Karawal Nagar where pro-CAA protesters allegedly set ablaze
around nine vehicles and a roadside eatery. The mob did not even allow
fire engines to move till the vehicles were completely gutted.
The police, which finally brought situation under control, had to face stones while they were trying to disperse the rioters.
A strong mob of 60 people, according to the police, went on rampage at
around 9:45 PM on Dayalpur Road, 6 km away from the Maujpur protest
site. There are reports that stones in tractors were offloaded. The
rioters pelted stones on windows in residential area.
As reports of violence poured in from areas which so far saw peaceful
protests against CAA, mainly led by women, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal urged Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah
to restore law and order in the wake of violence in parts of northeast
Delhi.
"Very distressing news regarding disturbance of peace and harmony in parts of Delhi coming in.
"I sincerely urge Hon'ble LG n Hon'ble Union Home Minister to restore
law and order n ensure that peace and harmony is maintained. Nobody
should be allowed to orchestrate flagrations (sic)," he tweeted.
(With inputs from PTI)
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