2 dead, DCP injured, cars-shops-petrol pump gutted as CAA protesters clash in Maujpur, Jafrabad

A Delhi Police cop and a civilian have died, a DCP-rank officer injured, a petrol pump torched, number of houses, cars and shops burnt after clashes between pro and anti-CAA protesters in Maujpur and Jafarabad areas of North East Delhi.

Advertisement

A civilian and a Delhi Police officer were killed and another cop was injured today as violence broke out across multiple northeast Delhi neighbourhoods for a second time in less than 24 hours. Protesters for and against the controversial citizenship law threw stones, set vehicles and shops ablaze and transformed parts of the national capital into a war zone, forcing the deployment of paramilitary forces and the banning of large gatherings in affected area. In the evening Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the situation was “under control”. The ministry said it continues to “monitor the situation”. The violence came hours before United States President Donald Trump was expected in Delhi. It also comes close on the heels of clashes near Jaffrabad on Sunday afternoon, where over 1,000 women have gathered since Saturday night in a peaceful protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA.

How it started?

On Monday, clashes broke out between two groups: one was protesting in favour of the CAA, while the other was protesting against it. The clashes started around 10am in Maujpur area of Delhi’s Northeast district where the two groups began pelting each other with stones.

Soon, the violence escalated and people came out on the road linking Maujpur with Jaffarabad. An elevated stretch of the Delhi Metro runs along this road.

This happened a day after similar clashes took place between the two warring groups in nearby Jaffarabad, prompting the Delhi Metro to close entry and exit gates at Maujpur-Babarpur metro station. The area was gripped by tension when a large group of people who have been protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act blocked a road.

Police fired tear gas shells as members of the two groups pelted each other with stones in Maujpur. For security reasons, the entry and exit gates of the Maujpur-Babarpur metro station were closed.

Taking a precautionary measure today morning, the Delhi Metro in a tweet said entry and exit gates at Jaffrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur stations will remain closed and trains won’t halt at these stations.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation✔@OfficialDMRC

Security Update

Entry & exit of Jaffrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur are closed. Trains will not be halting at these stations.

What areas have been affected?

Today’s protest and violence is confined to Shahdra area of Delhi’s Northeast district. While the protest is reported to have begun in Maujpur around 10am, by 5pm violence and arson was also reported from adjoining areas of Jaffarabad, Bhajanpura and Karawal Nagar.

3) What’s the extent of arson?

As per latest information from our reporters on ground zero, a petrol pump was set on fire in Bhajanpura, many shops and houses have been torched in Maujpur and Jaffarabad, and a number of police vehicles gutted in the area. The overall extent of damage to public property remains unknown.

4) Violence, firing and stonepelting

The stonepelting that started in Maujpur around 10am continued throughout the day intermittently. Many police personnel, including a DCP-rank officer, were injured in it, while a head constable died after a stone hit him on his head.

These clashes were reported not just from Maujpur, but also adjoining localities of Karawal Nagar, Jaffarabad, Bhajanpura, Kabir Nagar, Karampura, Dayalpur and Chand Bagh.

Around 1pm, a man wearing a red T-shirt was seen brandishing a country-made pistol during the clashes that were taking place on the road connecting Maujpur with Jaffarabad. A policeman tried to stop him from firing but he pushed him aside and fired eight rounds. Fortunately no one was injured. However, he managed to escape into the crow, giving the cops a miss.

5) Sec 144 and heavy deployment on ground zero

The local administration has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC that forbids movement and assembly of more than five people. A heavy deployment of Delhi Police personnel and the central paramilitary forces has also been made in the area to restore law and order.

The district administration has been appealing to the two sides to shun violence and maintain peace. The Delhi Police too has appealed for peace and urged people not to believe in rumours

6) What Delhi Police has said so far

In a statement on the violence in and around Maujpur and Jaffarabad, the Delhi Police said some incidents of violence and arson were reported in areas of North East district, particularly in Maujpur, Kardampuri, Chand Bagh and Dayalpu.

“It is appealed to the people of Delhi, and particularly to the Northeast district, to maintain peace and harmony and not to believe in any rumours. It is also appealed to the media not to circulate any disturbing pictures which may further aggravate the situation,” the statement read.

It said the Delhi Police is “making every effort to restore normalcy”. “Section 144 has been imposed in the affected areas of North East district and strict action will be taken against miscreants and anti-social elements.”

Measures for restoring law and order

Besides the appeals for peace and heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces, the Delhi Police has also carried out a flag march on the Maujpur-Jaffrabad road.

8) LG Baijal, CM Kejriwal appeal for peace

Taking to Twitter, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the people to shun violence and maintain peace in the area. Arvind Kejriwal also urged Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to restore law and order in the national capital.

“Very distressing news regarding disturbance of peace and harmony in parts of Delhi coming in. I sincerely urge Hon’ble LG n Hon’ble Union Home Minister to restore law and order n ensure that peace and harmony is maintained. Nobody should be allowed to orchestrate flagrations (sic),” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Delhi LG Anil Baijal instructed the Delhi Police and Commissioner of Police to ensure that law and order is maintained in North East Delhi. “The situation is being closely monitored. I urge everyone to exercise restraint for the maintenance of peace and harmony,” he said.

9) The Donald Trump angle

The clashes, violence and arson in India’s national capital coincided with the arrival of US President Donald Trump on a two-day visit to India. Trump landed in Ahmedabad and addressed a gathering of over one lakh people with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Motera Cricket Stadium. From Ahmedabad, President Trump left for Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. He is set to arrive in Delhi later tonight.

On Tuesday, President Trump and PM Modi will be holding talks at the Hyderabad House in the national capital, about 20 km from today’s protest scenes.

10) 4 cases for Sunday’s violence

Earlier in the day, news agency PTI reported that the Delhi Police has registered four cases in connection with the violence during protests between pro and anti-CAA groups in northeast Delhi’s Jaffrabad and nearby areas.

One FIR has been registered at Welcome police station while another has been lodged at Jafrabad police station. Two other FIRs have been registered at Dayalpur police station, they said

A civilian and a Delhi Police officer were killed and another cop was injured today as violence broke out across multiple northeast Delhi neighbourhoods for a second time in less than 24 hours. Protesters for and against the controversial citizenship law threw stones, set vehicles and shops ablaze and transformed parts of the national capital into a war zone, forcing the deployment of paramilitary forces and the banning of large gatherings in affected area. In the evening Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the situation was “under control”. The ministry said it continues to “monitor the situation”. The violence came hours before United States President Donald Trump was expected in Delhi. It also comes close on the heels of clashes near Jaffrabad on Sunday afternoon, where over 1,000 women have gathered since Saturday night in a peaceful protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA.

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

1. The civilian who died during the violence was hit on the head, Delhi Police said this evening. The Delhi Police officer – a Head Constable – was killed in Chand Bagh, while a Deputy Commissioner was injured in Gokulpuri. Among the several disturbing videos that emerged from the violence, which spread to the Bhajanpura, Maujpur and Jaffrabad, areas, among others, vehicles, shops and buildings were also set ablaze. A petrol pump was set on fire in Bhajanpura as petrol bombs were thrown by anti-CAA protesters.
2. In another video a man in a red shirt can be seen running at an unarmed Delhi Police officer in Jaffrabad waving what appears to be a gun; in chilling scenes he approaches the cop and confronts him before turning and firing into the air. Other videos show people from both groups breaking off chunks from the concrete divider along the road to throw at each other. In at least one of these videos shouts of “Jai Shri Ram” can be heard.
3. Delhi Police resorted to firing tear gas shells in an effort to control the situation. Once the violence escalated, paramilitary forces were called in to restore peace. Delhi Metro has closed the Jaffrabad, Maujpur-Babarpur, Gokulpuri, Johri Enclave and Shiv Vihar stations. The Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat and Janpath stations, which had been closed too, have now been opened.
4. Large gatherings have been banned in northeast Delhi under Section 144. They have also been imposed outside Delhi Police Headquarters after calls for protest marches by the JNU Students Union against the “Sanghi police’s brutal suppression of peaceful protests and complicity with violence unleashed… in northeast Delhi”.
5. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who expressed sorrow at the death of the Delhi Police officer, called the violence “very distressing” and urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah – under whose control Delhi Police rolls up – to “restore law and order and ensure peace and harmony is maintained”. Political analyst Yogendra Yadav also took to Twitter to raise alarm over the clashes.
6. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said he had “instructed Delhi Police to ensure law and order is maintained”. “The situation is being closely monitored. I urge everyone to exercise restraint for maintenance of peace and harmony,” he said.
7. US President Donald Trump landed in Delhi shortly before 7.30 pm. On his first to India, Mr Trump is expected to raise the issue of religious freedom with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier today, addressing a massive crowd at Ahmedabad’s newly-built Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cricket Stadium, he described India as ‘a nation where people from all faiths – Hindus, Muslims… worship side by side”.
8. Sunday’s violence broke out after local BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who has a history of making communal and incendiary comments, held a pro-CAA rally in Maujpur. He gave an “ultimatum” to Delhi police.
9. Sunday also witnessed violence in UP’s Aligarh, where police and anti-CAA protesters clashed. A portion of a shop was set on fire, at least two police vehicles were vandalised and police officers being injured.
10. Massive protests have swept the country against the citizenship law, which makes religion test for citizenship for the first time in India. While government says it will grant citizenship to minorities from three Muslim-majority neighbouring countries, critics have called the law “anti-Muslim”.