New Delhi: A day after the heated Lok Sabha debate on the Delhi riots, several opposition leaders questioned the Narendra Modi government’s “late response” in the Rajya Sabha Thursday. The riots left at least 53 dead, according to the latest official figures.
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal hit out at Home Minister Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha speech, in which he called the riots a “pre-planned conspiracy”.
“A PIB released on 25 February called the riots ‘spontaneous’. Then how did they become a ‘conspiracy’?” Sibal asked, referring to a release put out by the Ministry of Home Affairs via the Press Information Bureau, which said a professional assessment of the violence showed it was spontaneous.
Sibal also pointed towards the “many videos that show the faces of the rioters”.
“You talked about using facial recognition technology to catch rioters… So many exist, including of those who were shooting rifles from the terrace of Mohan Nursing Home… Will you do something about them?” he asked.
Sibal also asked why an FIR has not been lodged against BJP leaders who made provocative speeches.
“You have kept Kashmir leaders Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti in custody since six months… saying their statements might cause riots. But what about those BJP leaders who have already made inflammatory speeches? When will you lodge an FIR against them?” the former Union minister asked.
Sibal also said the life of a human being should be valued as much as the life of cows.
“Do we need to bring a new directive principle? That human life is more important than the life of a cow?” he asked.
Also read: Delhi riots debate: Congress calls Amit Shah ‘Nero’ as BJP blames Muslim leaders
BJP’s Goel blames Shaheen Bagh
However, BJP leaders including Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, Vijay Goel and Sudhanshu Trivedi blamed the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protestors for the riots.
Goel drew a link between protestors at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh and the riots.
“Shaheen Bagh nafrat hai, jhooth hai, makkari hai, desh ke development mein adchan hai (Shaheen Bagh is hate, lies, cunning, a roadblock in the development of the nation),” he said. “Shaheen Bagh na hota toh yeh danga bhi nahin hota (If it wasn’t for Shaheen Bagh, there would’ve been no riots).”
Goel talked about the “demographic change” in parts of Delhi. “I grew up in Chandni Chowk, which had Hindus in majority and Muslims in minority. Today, it has Muslims in majority and Hindus in minority.”
Javadekar, meanwhile, submitted a pen drive in the House, saying it has “inflammatory speeches of the opposition”, and further referred to speeches by Sharjeel Imam, AIMIM politician Waris Pathan and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan as “provocative”.
Javadekar also hit out at Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi for her 14 December speech at Ramlila Maidan, saying that it provoked the masses.
Also read: Number of missing husbands and sons going up as riot-hit Delhi tries to pick up the pieces
‘Virus of hate started on 15 December’
Trivedi, also of the BJP, said the “virus” of hate started on 15 December when the protests against the CAA started.
“The speeches at these protests include (slogans like) ‘Free Kashmir’, ‘Hinduon se aazadi’, ‘Jinnah wali aazadi’ and talk about cutting off Assam,” he said.
Trivedi also cited how Mahatma Gandhi halted the non-cooperation movement after the Chauri Chaura violence of February 1922.
“Aaj 100 saal baad wahi party sadak pe aane ki baat karti hai. Kahan se kahan pahuch gaye yeh (One hundred years later, the same party is talking about coming out onto the streets. What have they come to),” he said, obviously alluding to the Congress.
To this, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien reacted by saying: “Today we are hearing people who quote Gandhi but worship Godse.”
He also fired a salvo at PM Modi, referring to the 2002 Gujarat riots which took place when he was CM of the state.
“2002 and 2020. It’s the same name, it’s the same innocent blood, it’s the same cover up, the same model,” O’Brien claimed.
Also read: Muslim man guarding Ram temple in riot-hit Northeast Delhi arrested
All lie from.mujheed e media cell If it was spontaneous then how come tons of petrol , acid and well welded catapult Syrian style were used.
Each side has their own version of who made inflammatory speeches. The BJP will always name Opposition speakers and the Congress will name only BJP leaders. The citizen can get a clear picture by being skeptical of both viewpoints and going by credible press reports.