New Delhi: A man was arrested Saturday evening from Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh after he fired shots in the air. The spot — near the Jasola Vihar red light — is close to the site of the anti-citizenship law protests that have been on since December.
#WATCH Delhi: Man who fired bullets in Shaheen Bagh has been taken away from the spot by police. The man claims to be Kapil Gujjar, a resident of Dallupura village (near Noida border). pic.twitter.com/6xHxREQOe1
— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2020
No injuries have been reported so far.
The Delhi Police told ThePrint that the shooter has been identified as Kapil, a resident of Dallupura village in east Delhi.
According to eyewitnesses, he was heard saying “Is desh mein aur kisi ki nahi chalegi, sirf Hinduon ki chalegi. (No one but Hindus will get to have their say in this country).” A video being shared widely shows him saying the same.
#WATCH Delhi: Man who had fired bullets in Shaheen Bagh area being taken away from the spot by police. pic.twitter.com/lenDhRcWGD
— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2020
Police sources said Kapil ordered tea from a roadside stall in the area before suddenly firing three rounds in the air.
“He was apprehended by the police from the spot after he fired three rounds. We are trying to collect more details,” DCP Chinmay Biswal told ThePrint.
Earlier in the day, Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said the Modi government was ready to talk to the protestors at Shaheen Bagh.
Also read: Why Shaheen Bagh protesters need not worry about Delhi election
“Government is ready to talk to protestors of Shaheen Bagh but then it should be in a structured form and the @narendramodi govt is ready to communicate with them and clear all their doubts they have against CAA.” he had posted on Twitter.
Government is ready to talk to protestors of Shaheen Bagh but then it should be in a structured form and the @narendramodi govt is ready to communicate with them and clear all their doubts they have against CAA. pic.twitter.com/UjGikFN8tY
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 1, 2020
Also read: Why call gunman mentally unstable, he’s a terrorist — Jamia students after brazen shooting
The Shaheen Bagh incident comes two days after a teenager was arrested for shooting at a Jamia Millia Islamia student during a protest march. Before firing, the teen was heard saying “Yeh lo azadi (Here’s your freedom)”.
Before firing, the teenager had gone live on his Facebook profile several times and had posted “Shaheen Bagh Khel Khatam”.
Last Thursday, BJP candidate for the Delhi elections Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga had said that Shaheen Bagh should prepare themselves for a surgical strike on 11 February, the day the election results are scheduled.
In January, Home Minister Amit Shah, while campaigning in Delhi had asked voters to “press button with such anger, that Shaheen Bagh feels the current.”
Over the past week, other BJP leaders — from Anurag Thakur to Parvesh Verma — have sought to make Shaheen Bagh a poll plank in the Delhi elections by issuing polarising statements.
With inputs from Ananya Bhardwaj.
Also read: Delhi Police says Jamia firing incident happened in seconds, personnel didn’t have time to react