New Delhi: The death toll in the northeast Delhi violence climbed to eight Tuesday, with fresh incidents of stone pelting and vehicles being burnt reported from Maujpur, Babarpur and Shivpuri areas.
Stone pelting was reported from Maujpur and Babarpur around 7:30 am and two motorcycles were set on fire at Shivpuri. There was also a round of firing around 5 am at Brahmpuri, ThePrint has learnt. Empty cartridges have been recovered by the police from the area.
Additional forces, including 37 companies of armed police and paramilitary forces, have been deployed in several areas across northeast Delhi.
The Delhi Police have also imposed section 144 in the area and issued an order prohibiting people from carrying weapons, sticks or any incendiary material. People are also barred from printing, circulating or disseminating any communally sensitive and provocative material, even on social media.
The order says violation of the rules will be punishable under section 188 (disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant). “Assembly of more than four persons and any kind of demonstration without permission is not allowed,” it reads.
Tuesday’s violence is a continuation of the incidents that took place Monday in the Jaffrabad-Maujpur region after clashes erupted between pro- and anti-Citizenship Act protesters.
Apart from incidents of stone pelting Monday, a man, later identified only as Shahrukh, had also opened eight rounds of fire. Several shops and vehicles were also damaged and burnt by a rioting mob. By evening, the tyre market at Gokulpuri was also set on fire.
Though the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force took out flag marches through Monday night, they failed to contain the violence as the crowd managed to gather in the area again around 4 am Tuesday.
“The priority is to contain the violence and our teams have been stationed in the area for the past 48 hours. The police did its best to control the situation by dispersing the crowd and also detaining some troublemakers. The injured were rushed to the hospital and we have been urging the public to remain calm,” said a senior police officer.
“A few men gathered in the area again this morning (Tuesday) and our teams are on the spot to take control of the situation,” he added.
No formal arrests have been made in connection with Monday’s violence till now.
Home Minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, called for a meeting with Lieutenant General Anil Baijal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and some of his party members Tuesday to take stock of the situation.
Prior to this, he had held a late night meeting Monday with Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and Intelligence Bureau Chief Arvind Kumar.
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Death toll rises to 8
Among those dead in the violence across northeast Delhi include seven civilians and a policeman, confirmed the Delhi Police.
While the policeman has been identified as head constable Ratan Lal, the seven civilians have been identified as Mohammad Furquan, Saahid, Rahul Solanki, Nazeem and Vinod Kumar. Two other civilians are yet to be identified.
According to the police, over 50 people have sustained grievous injuries in the riots that have rocked different pockets of northeast Delhi. Of the injured, five, including two policemen, have sustained bullet wounds and are in serious conditions.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdra, Amit Sharma also sustained serious injuries on his head and hand. According to his medical report, accessed by ThePrint, Sharma has sustained a blood clot due to a stone injury on his head.
Several personnel from the paramilitary have also been injured. The police are in the process of registering FIRs under sections of rioting and arson.
The rioting has happened as US President President Donald Trump arrived in Delhi Monday evening for the last leg of his India visit. Trump has visited Rajghat and will head to the Hyderabad House later in the day Tuesday before leaving for America in the evening.
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Every time an event like the Trump visit takes place in India, Pakistan has always tried to create some problem on the border or in Kashmir. Now, that capacity having evaporated in the wake of the surgical strikes and Balakot the sympathisers have been pressed into service to somehow force a Police reaction which could then be publicized there is no dearth of the Indian intellectuals writing in the western media. There are also some Indian channels who would relish such news items, that would help them paint the Modi Government in line with their editorial policy.
If the government could contain the fall out of 370 &35A, it is difficult to believe that Delhi could not have been handled. Obviously it was a great disappointment for all those expecting a stern reaction from Police to built their narrative.