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As It Happened: Opposition Using CAA For Riots, Says Amit Shah In First Public Statement After Delhi Violence

The Narendra Modi government has continued to blame the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party over the Delhi violence in northeast Delhi.
Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in Odisha.
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Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in Odisha.

The death toll from the violence in northeast Delhi rose to 42 on Friday, even as the Narendra Modi government attacked the Congress saying, ’Don’t teach us rajdharm”.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also attacked the AAP after municipal councillor Tahir Hussain was booked for the death of IB officer Ankit Sharma and expelled from primary membership of the party. Hussain was charged with murder and arson.

The Delhi High Court, meanwhile, sent notices to the centre and the Delhi government on a plea seeking FIR and an NIA probe against lawyer Harsh Mander, actor Swara Bhaskar, RJ Sayema, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and others for allegedly making hate speeches.

The Delhi HC also issued notice to the Delhi police, the centre and the Delhi government on another plea that sought FIR and SIT probe against Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Manish Sisodia, Amanatullah Khan, Priyanka Gandhi, Waris Pathan, Akbaruddin Owaisi, and Mehmood Pracha for allegedly making “inflammatory speeches”.

Here are today’s updates:

5.55 pm: Fresh Case Of Violence Reported From Northeast Delhi’s Karawal Nagar

A 60-year-old scrap dealer was allegedly beaten to death in northeast Delhi on Friday in what appears to be a fresh case of violence.

Ayub Shabbir was found injured by locals at Karawal Nagar in the morning, his son said.

“My father stepped out today at 5 am but, after some time, two men brought him on a scooter saying he had been thrashed. He had injuries on head and leg,” his 18-year-old son Salman said. - PTI

Huffpost India could not independently verify this.

5:01 pm: Opposition Using CAA For Riots: Amit Shah’s First Public Statement After Delhi Violence

Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said during a rally in Odisha that the Opposition parties were using the Citizenship Amendment Act for riots, to incite people.

“The Opposition is spreading misconception, using it to carry out riots, to incite people,” Shah claimed on a day when the Delhi violence claimed 42 lives.

Shah, who holds the portfolio of the home ministry that is supposed to look after internal security, is yet to make an official statement on the violence in northeast Delhi.

“We have taken the important step of introducing CAA. All Opposition parties like Congress, BSP, SP, Mamata Didi have all said that it will take away citizenship of the minorities of the country. We have repeated over and over again and will repeat again that CAA will not take away any minority’s citizenship,” Amit Shah said.

He said, “CAA is not a law to take away citizenship, but to give citizenship.”

4:40 pm: Forensic Team Inspects Spot Where IB Official Ankit Sharma’s Body Was Found

After inspecting the factory of municipal councillor Tahir Hussain, who has been booked for the murder of IB official Ankit Sharma, a forensic team inspected the site where Sharma’s body was found.

Sharma had gone missing on Tuesday, amid relentless violence in Chand Bagh. He is said to have returned on around 5.30 pm on Tuesday and had left to assess the situation outside.

His body was recovered from a sewer on Wednesday.

4:31 pm: Mayawati Writes To President Kovind Seeking ‘High-Level’ Judicial Probe Into Delhi Violence

BSP President Mayawati on Friday wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding a high-level judicial probe monitored by a Supreme Court judge into the violence in northeast Delhi.

Stressing that the violence has “trampled” Delhi like during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Mayawati termed them as most serious and unfortunate and said they have drawn the concern of the world and got negative publicity.

“A high-level inquiry monitored by a Supreme Court judge needs to be ordered into the violent clashes in Delhi so that a conclusion can be reached and stains on the national capital, like that of the anti-Sikh riots, could be washed off to some extent,” Mayawati said in the letter released by the party in Lucknow. (PTI)

4:02 pm: Delhi LG Anil Baijal Visits Maujpur

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Friday visited violence-torn Maujpur and interacted with the locals.

He told the media, “I have come here to see for myself how things are on ground.”

3:12 pm: SAD Leader Parkash Singh Badal Calls Delhi Violence Unfortunate

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal on Friday called the Delhi violence “unfortunate”. He said, “There are three highlights of Constitution - secularism, socialism & democracy. But there is no socialism, secularism and democracy exists only on two levels - Parliamentary & state elections.”

2:05 pm: Death Toll From Violence In Delhi Rises To 42

1:30 pm: Don’t Teach Us ’Rajdharm, Says Ravi Shankar Prasad, Claims Congress Provoked People

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday continued to shift blame on the Congress saying Sonia Gandhi’s language was “provocative”.

“Uttejna phailaya kisne? (Who spread excitement),” Prasad asked.

Prasad claimed that Congress leader visited Shaheen Bagh and provoked people to protest.

“Don’t teach us ‘rajdharm’” Prasad said taking on former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s comments from Thursday.

He claimed BJP wanted no politics and wanted only peace.

Prasad claimed that Congress indulged in “votebank politics”.

12:35 pm: Forensic Teams At Municipal Councillor Tahir Hussain’s Factory

Forensic teams at municipal councillor Tahir Hussain’s factory in northeast Delhi.

11:50 am: Delhi HC Notice To Centre, Delhi Govt, Delhi Police On Plea Seeking FIR, SIT Probe Against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Akbaruddin Owaisi

Yet another petition, by an organisation called Lawyer’s Voice, sought FIR and SIT probe against Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Manish Sisodia, Amanatullah Khan, Priyanka Gandhi, Waris Pathan, Akbaruddin Owaisi, and Mehmood Pracha for allegedly making “inflammatory speeches”.

LiveLaw reported that the Delhi HC issued notices to the Delhi government, Delhi police and the Centre on the matter.

11:40 am: Delhi HC Issues Notice To Centre On Plea Seeking NIA Probe Against Swara Bhaskar, Harsh Mander, RJ Sayema

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to the Narendra Modi government at the centre and the Delhi government on a plea that sought an FIR and an NIA probe against lawyer Harsh Mander, actor Swara Bhaskar, RJ Sayema, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and others for allegedly making hate speeches.

LiveLaw reported that the application was by Sanjjiiv Kkumar, impleadment in a pending petition on Delhi riots.

The news portal quoted the petition as saying, “The plan of this Urban Naxal group was to defame India, to paint India as Failed State and thus to bleed my Mother India internationally, economically and in every way possible.”

11:30 am: SN Srivastava Appointed Delhi Police Commissioner, Replacing Amulya Patinaik

11:08 am: Delhi HC Issues Notice To Centre, Delhi Govt To Probe “Anti-National” Elements Behind Protests Against CAA

The Delhi High Court has now issued a notice to the Delhi government and the centre on a plea seeking direction to probe and identify “anti-national” elements and look into the funding behind anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

This comes even as the Narendra Modi government has said in statements that the anti-CAA protests triggered the violence in Delhi that killed 38 people.

10:12 am: National Commission For Women Chief To Visit Northeast Delhi Today

10:10 am: Images From Northeast Delhi Show Massive Security Deployment

9:30 am: Delhi Police Says 82 Suffered Bullet Injuries: Report

The Delhi police, in the aftermath of the violence, have said that 82 people, including the dead have suffered bullet injuries, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The report also said that police sources told the newspaper that it was unemployed locals who carried out the violence. And their homes were being raided.

“Police have found sufficient technical evidence to show that local criminals, who have in the past been arrested on the charges of robbery, snatching, pickpocketing, etc., were involved in procuring and distributing arms and ammunition. Police have started conducting raids at their homes and other locations. Many of them are on the run,” an officer involved in the investigation told The Indian Express.

9:21 am: Restrictions In Northeast Delhi To Be Relaxed For 10 Hours, Says Home Ministry

Sources from the Home Ministry told NDTV that orders banning large gatherings in northeast Delhi, issued under Section 144, would be relaxed for 10 hours on Friday.

The restrictions would be relaxed between 4:00 am and 10:00 am, and 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the sources said.

This they said was because of the improvement in the situation in the area after days violence.

8:57 am: UN human rights chief’s appeal to prevent violence

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the new citizenship law adopted last December was of “great concern” and she was worried by reports of police inaction in the face of assaults against Muslims by other groups, Reuters reported.

“I appeal to all political leaders to prevent violence,” Bachelet said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

8:43 am: Violence yet to subside, reports PTI

In Yamuna Vihar, three to four rioters came around 4 am on Thursday to burn vehicles.

“One of them was holding a bucket in his hand. He started pouring some liquid on three vehicles. One of the cars caught fire. We raised an alarm after which they fled,” a local told PTI, saying groups of people in the neighbourhood stay up all night to keep watch.

8:27 am: UK Parliament’s Upper House debates CAA impact

The Upper House of the UK Parliament held a debate over the impact of India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and sought representations by the UK government to counterparts in India over arising concerns around minority rights.

The House of Lords debate in London on Tuesday evening, tabled by crossbench peer John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich, called on the UK government to urge PM Narendra Modi to conduct a review of the CAA and its effects on Indian society amid the deaths associated with mass protests against the act in the country, PTI reported.

The UK government, in response, said it has been closely monitoring the situation as the act has “clearly been divisive in India” and there are some concerns over its full impact.

8:16 am: Home ministry says no major incidents reported in last 36 hours

The home ministry on Thursday night said no major incident had been reported from riot-hit northeast Delhi in the last 36 hours. In its statement, the ministry said as many as 514 suspects had either either arrested or detained for questioning and further arrests would be made in the course of investigation.

Meanwhile, the fire department said on Thursday that it had received 19 calls from 12 am till 8 am from the violence-hit areas.

Scroll reported that reports of arson and unrest had poured in from Bhajanpura, Maujpur and Karawal Nagar areas late Wednesday.

8:07 am: SIT probe into violence

The Delhi Police has transferred the northeast Delhi riots probe to the crime branch, and the cases will be probed by two Special Investigation Teams (SITs), officials said on Thursday.

The police have so far filed 48 FIRs, PTI reported.

7:56 am: Delhi police asks witnesses for statements, video footage

Delhi Police on Thursday issued an appeal requesting people, including media persons, to come forward and give their statements and share video footage in connection with the violence in northeast Delhi, PTI reported

The appeal read, “Whereas incidents of clashes have taken place in the northeast district, Delhi since February 23. All those who are witnesses to the incidents or have captured any activity on their mobile phones or camera, are hereby requested to come forward and give their statements, footage and picture in their possession at DCP office, northeast district, Seelampur, Delhi, during office hours, on any working day within seven days.”

Police said witnesses can also contact on mobile numbers ― 8750871221, 8750871227 ― to share information.

The identity of the witnesses will be kept secret, they said.

7.43am: 215 victims treated so far says, GTB hospital

Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital Director said in a press release: “This is for information that GTB Hospital. Dilshad Garden. Delhi has received and treated 215 riot victims since Feb 24. However, at the moment only 51 patients are receiving treatment in various departments at GTB Hospital.”

7.31am: AAP suspends Tahir Hussain pending police investigation

AAP has suspended Hussain from primary membership till the case investigation is complete.

Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had said on Thursday evening, “If those involved in riots are found to be from AAP, double punishment should be given.”

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.