13 Dead In Northeast Delhi Violence, gov rules out calling army, journalist attacked!

Northeast Delhi violence: Rival mobs from different communities armed with sticks were ranged against each other in parts of Bhajanpura. Negligible police presence made the situation worse. Inadequate police presence or policemen refusing to act was also visible at Chand Bagh nearby,.

Thirteen people have been killed and more than 150 – including a child – injured as armed mobs rampaged through parts of northeast Delhi today, looting and burning buildings and vehicles as the government hosts US President Donald Trump and his family only 15 kilometres away. Smoke was seen rising from buildings and streets were strewn with rocks and broken glasses after three days of violence between pro- and anti-citizenship law protesters. The violence, which left neighbourhoods looking as though it was a war zone, also led to the postponement of CBSE board exams to be held in affected areas on Wednesday. Delhi Police, heavily criticised for apparent inaction in this time, responded late this evening with a renewed push through violent-hit areas. Shocking visuals showed tear gas being fired and pitched battles between protesters and outnumbered cops in areas like Chandbagh and Bhajanpura.

Day after violence claimed the lives of five people in Delhi, fresh incidents of stone-pelting have been reported from Maujpur and Brahmpuri. In the wake of violence in parts of the national capital, Home Minister Amit Shah directed officials to restore normalcy. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, has called an urgent meeting to review the situation. Kejriwal has also appealed to people to shun violence. On Monday, five people, including a policeman, were killed and over 50 injured after northeast Delhi witnessed clashes over the Citizenship Amendment Act. The streets turned into a battle zone following which paramilitary was called in to control the situation. For the latest updates from Delhi,

Here are the top 10 updates on the violence in northeast Delhi:

• Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal called an urgent meeting of MLAs and officials from the violence-hit areas. He tweeted, “I am very worried about the prevailing situation in certain parts of Delhi. All of us together should make all efforts to restore peace in our city. I again urge everyone to shun violence.”
• Home Minister Amit Shah also held a late-night meeting with the Delhi police chief, the Union Home Secretary and other senior officials.  
• While stones are being thrown in several northeast Delhi neighborhoods such as Maujpur, the fire department has been getting more SOS calls. Three firefighters have been injured after a group of people set a fire engine ablaze and threw stones at another. In Maujpur, passengers travelling in an e-rickshaw were thrashed and looted of their valuables this morning. In Gokulpuri area, a mob set a tyre market on fire last night. “The situation is very tense. We are continuously receiving calls related to incidents of violence from northeast Delhi,” Delhi Police said in a statement.
• Delhi ministers Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain and other Aam Aadmi Party MLAs camped outside Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s residence late last night to discuss with him the law and order situation. Mr Baijal said he had “instructed Delhi Police to ensure law and order is maintained”.
• Mr Kejriwal, who expressed sorrow at the death of the Delhi Police officer, called the violence “very distressing” yesterday and urged  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.
• Government sources said the violence in the national capital appears to have been “orchestrated” by some for publicity as it comes at a time when Donald Trump is visiting the country.
• The Delhi government has ordered all private and government schools to be closed in the northeast Delhi district to remain closed today  in the wake of the violence.
• Delhi Metro has closed the Jaffrabad, Maujpur-Babarpur, Gokulpuri, Johri Enclave and Shiv Vihar stations.
• 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.
• On his first to India, Mr Trump is expected to raise the issue of religious freedom with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yesterday, 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”.