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As It Happened: Delhi HC Asks Police To Consider FIRs Against Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma

The Delhi HC has, meanwhile, said 'we cannot have a repeat of 1984' amid political blame game between BJP, AAP and Congress.
A man, who was injured during the riots, receives treatment at a hospital in New Delhi.
Adnan Abidi / Reuters
A man, who was injured during the riots, receives treatment at a hospital in New Delhi.

Twenty-two people have died and hundreds have been injured in the riots that swept northeast Delhi in the last four days. Guru Tej Bahadur Hospital officials said that over 200 have been admitted to hospital.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence, finally, and appealed for peace and harmony, the BJP put the blame on the Congress, almost shirking responsibility for anything.

The Congress, meanwhile, blamed the AAP and the BJP and Sonia Gandhi asked for Amit Shah’s resignation.

NSA Ajit Doval visited the affected areas and said, “Everything will be fine”.

Here are today’s updates:

6.25 pm: Arvind Kejriwal Says “Outsiders” Responsible For Violence

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the “aam aadmi” of Delhi did not indulge in violence. “Outsiders and some political elements” are responsible, he added.

5:34 pm: NSA Ajit Doval Says Everything Will Be Fine; Student Interrupts Him Saying ‘Scared In Our Own Homes’

NSA Ajit Doval visited the affected areas of north east Delhi and he said, “Situation is totally under control. People are satisfied. I have confidence in law enforcement agencies. Police is doing its work.”

However, NDTV visuals showed a student approaching Doval saying, “we are scared in our own homes”. The woman said she felt unsafe.

5:09 pm: Delhi HC Asks Police To Consider FIRs Against Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma

The Delhi High Court which has harshly condemned the riots in the city has now directed the police to consider filing FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma.

The court said it perused videos of the hate speeches made by them and directed the police to take “conscious decision” with respect to lodging of FIRs against the BJP leaders.

4:30 pm: 22 People Have Died, Over 200 Admitted, Says GTB Hospital

The Medical Superintendent of GTB in north east Delhi, where the injured are being treated said on Wednesday that 22 people have died and that over 200 people have been admitted in the hospital till now.

The statement said that 16 people had been admitted today.

The hospital has carried out 16 post mortems till 12 pm on Wednesday. While two of the death, the statement said “remained unexplained”, nine people died of gunshot wounds, five from being hit with blunt objects, three from being stabbed and one from burns.

3:15 pm: Cannot Allow Another 1984, Says Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the riots and said “This is the time to show that Z Security is for everyone”.

The court also directed that the Delhi police facilitate collection of dead bodies, provide security during cremation activites, Live Law reported.

According to Live Law, Justice Muralidhar said, “We can’t let another 1984 scenario happen in this city; not under the watch if this court.”

2:26 pm: Prakash Javadekar Says Congress Comments Have ‘Adverse Effect On People’

2:02 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Appeals For Peace After Three Days Of Rioting

After four days of rioting Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for peace in Delhi. He said, “Peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times. It is important that there is calm and normalcy is restored at the earliest.”

He said that the police and other agencies were working to restore peace in the city.

1:25 pm: Home Minister Must Resign, Says Sonia Gandhi

The Congress on Wednesday held a press conference condemning the violence in Delhi for the past four days.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi said, “Delhi Police has remained paralysed in the last 72 hrs-around 18 lives have been lost so far, including a head constable, and hundreds are in hospital, many with gunshot injuries. Violence continues unabated on the streets of North East Delhi.”

Gandhi also said, “The Centre and the Union Home Minister is responsible for the present situation in Delhi. The Union Home Minister should resign.”

12:58 pm: What Does Modi Govt Want To Do, Asks AAP

AAP’s Sanjay Singh put the blame on the BJP and the Home Minister for the riots that have rocked Delhi. Singh said, “What does this government want to do? What is their plan?”

Singh asked how BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra were allowed to roam free after raising “goli maro” slogans.

AAP has faced public criticism since its leaders have not visited the areas where violence took place.

12:53 pm: Supreme Court Says Loss Of Lives In Delhi ‘Disturbing’

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India made observations on the riots saying it was “disturbed” by the lives lost.

“Regarding police inaction, I want to say certain things. If I don’t, I won’t be discharging my duty. I have my loyalty towards this institution, towards this
country...“Justice KM Joseph said according to Live Law.

12:30 pm: Here Are Delhi Police Numbers For Information On Delhi Riots Victims

11:17 am: Kejriwal Says ‘Situation Alarming’ Wants Army To Be Brought In

Even as the death toll in the Delhi riots rose to 20, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that the police is unable to control the situation and the army needs to be brought in.

Kejriwal also called for curfew in the affected areas.

10:40 am: Death Toll In Delhi Riots Rises To 18

The death toll from the Delhi riots rises to 18, according to a doctor from the Guru Teg Bahadur hospital in north east Delhi.

10:06 am: Violence, Arson Right Under Nose Of Delhi Police: Report

More articles from Tuesday’s violence in north east Delhi show that the police looked away while groups of men wreaked havoc in several neighbourhoods in the area that as left 17 people dead.

This report by Dipankar Ghose and Sourav Roy Barman says:

“All right under the nose of the police who either stood as silent spectators, looked the other way or were plain missing when they were most needed.”

9:47 am: NSA Ajit Doval To Attend Cabinet Committee on Security

ANI reports that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will attend a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security that will be held at 10:30 am on Wednesday.

9:30 am: These People Are Giving Hindus A Bad Name, Trader Tells Reporter Amid Riots

A Twitter thread by Indian Express journalist Sourav Roy Barman gives us a blow by blow account of what went down in north east Delhi on Tuesday, even as the death toll is now at 17.

A trader, whose shops have been vandalised, tells Barman, “It is the negligence of the police that they did not reach on time.”

The trader points out that a juice shop that was vandalised was owned by someone named Mr Gupta, but was run by a Muslim man. “But the adjoining market is all mine... if something happens here, tell me what my responsibilities are. These people are just spreading violence in the name of Hindus, nothing else. They are giving Hindus a bad name. These are just people of a particular political party. Nothing else.”

The rest of the thread goes on to describe how rioters used rods, metal scraps to attack. Arson was carried out reportedly in only Muslim owned shops.

9.23 am: Delhi riots show BJP is using mobs to end women’s protests

With the Delhi Police unable or unwilling to protect citizens, the withdrawal of the women’s protest in Jafrabad shows how the BJP-led govt is leaving it to violent mobs to end peaceful demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Huffpost India’s Akshay Deshmane reports. Read full story here

9.02 am: GTB hospital says 4 people were brought dead today, death toll at 17

8.48 am: Mosques vandalised, huts burned in Mustafabad, reports The Wire

Late Tuesday, armed and masked men set fire to jhuggis (slum dwellings) and vehicles in Mustafabad, while the Delhi police looked on, The Wire reported.

Several houses and shops were set on fire in a different part of Mustafabad. At least two mosques were vandalised and attacked with stones, the report said.

8.37 am: What the Jaffrabad protest site looks like now

On Tuesday night, the Delhi Police cleared out the peaceful demonstration held by women against the citizenship amendment act. The sit-in protest has begun outside Jaffrabad metro station on Saturday evening.

8.26 am: Video shows BJP MLA marching through Laxmi Nagar while his supporters chant incendiary slogans

AAP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh shared a video that showed BJP MLA Abhay Verma leading a march in his constituency Laxmi Nagar while his supporters chant slogans like ‘Goli maro’, ‘Jo Hindu hit ki baat karega, wohi desh pe raj karega’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

Singh said Verma was instigating people in the name of peace marches.

8.10 am: ‘Can’t bear to look at my photograph’, says man seen in viral Reuters photo

Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui’s photo of Mohammad Zubair being beaten with lathis and iron rods had gone viral on Tuesday.

“They beat me till they broke me. I begged them and they beat me some more, viciously. They made communally charged slurs and took (BJP leader) Kapil Mishra’s name. I don’t remember much. I just hoped my children were safe. I can’t bear to look at my photograph, my legs shiver with pain,” Zubair told The Indian Express.

7.48 am: Water canon used on people protesting outside Kejriwal’s residence

Delhi police used water canons to disperse people who gathered outside CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in the night, demanding action against violence in Northeast Delhi.

The demonstration was organised by Jamia Milia Islamia’s Alumni Association and the Jamia Coordination Committee, JCC said.

7.26 am: Ensure safe passage of victims to hospitals, Delhi HC tells police

In a midnight hearing at the Delhi High Court, Justices S. Muralidhar and Anup J. Bhambhani directed the Delhi Police to ensure safe passage of injured victims of violence to medical institutions and to make sure they receive emergency medical treatment, LiveLaw reported.

What happed in Delhi on Tuesday:

— A fresh round of stonepelting erupted in Maujpur and Brahmpuri areas on Tuesday morning, the Hindustan Times reported, prompting the Delhi metro to keep five metro stations closed in Northeast Delhi. NDTV reported arson and looting in Karawal Nagar, Maujpur, Bhajanpura. Vijay Park and Yamuna Vihar.

— The Gokulpuri tyre market which was set on fire on Monday night, raged through the night, before it was doused on Tuesday morning. However, The Print reported it was set on fire again on Tuesday.

— News channels seesawed between covering the riots and US president Donald Trump’s visit to the capital. Trump was all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has made no public statement on the violence.

Trump said he did not discuss the riots with Modi but “we did talk about religious freedom. The Prime Minister said he wants people to have religious freedom.”

— A mosque was set on fire in Ashok Nagar, The Wire and Scroll reported, and Alt News verified videos of rioters climbing up to raise a saffron flag over the place of worship. However, North West Delhi DCP Aslam Khan, contradicted such reports to say no mosque had been burnt in the area and called it a false news item.

The Print reported that a Muslim cemetery near Gokulpuri police station was desecrated by an armed mob chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’.

— Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting at noon with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, city police commissioner Amulya Patnaik on steps to restore peace. The home ministry said additional forces were being deployed in affected areas. The meeting resolved that workers of political parties should join hands to restore peace and peace committees should be reactivated in all localities, PTI reported.

— Kejriwal, whose AAP government came back to power in Delhi with a massive majority earlier this month, has received backlash for not being proactive in containing the violence.

— On Tuesday night, the police cleared the peaceful demonstration held by women against the citizenship amendment act outside Jaffrabad metro station. Police, along with locals, vacated the road after the area witnessed violence in the last couple of days, a senior police officer told PTI.

— Five journalists were attacked while covering the violence, with one TV reporter being shot.

— While Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa said the police was investigating BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s Sunday speech, in which he gave a three-day ultimatum to the police to vacate the roads blocked by anti-CAA protesters in Jaffarabad and Bhahanpura protests, ANI reported. Mishra remained defiant on Tuesday, saying he had received several death threats but “I am not scared because I have not done anything wrong”.

— IPS officer SN Shrivastava was appointed as the new Delhi Police Special Commissioner (Law and Order) after the Home Ministry repatriated him from the CRPF on Tuesday night to take control of the situation in the wake of communal violence, officials told PTI.

— Police in Uttar Pradesh have enhanced security and patrolling along Ghaziabad and Noida borders the state shares with Delhi, officials said.

—The Central Board of Secondary Education has postponed the board exams for Class 10 and 12 in northeast Delhi, scheduled on Wednesday.

Private and government schools in the affected areas will continue to be closed on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced. Sisodia, who is also the education minister of Delhi, said all internal examinations have been postponed by schools.

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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.