Shots were fired outside Jamia Millia Islamia University’s gate number 5 in Delhi on Sunday night, PTI reported. While no injuries were reported, this was the third incident of firing in Delhi in four days amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Two attackers, one of them wearing a red jacket, came on a red scooter, the Jamia Coordination Committee formed to protest against the amended law, said. “As per report, one of them was wearing a red jacket and driving a red scooty having vehicle no. 1532 or 1534,” the statement said.
After the incident, scores of people at the protest site gathered outside the Jamia Nagar police station to register a complaint. A first information report was filed under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act, Assistant Commissioner of Police Jagdish Yadav told ANI. “Team is going to the spot, it’ll collect CCTV footage from gate number 5 and 7, further details which come out, will be included [in FIR],” he added. “Action will be taken.”
However, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Kumar Gyanesh said there were different versions about the vehicle used by the attackers. “Some people said it was a scooter, others said it was a four wheeler,” he said, according to Hindustan Times. “The SHO of Jamia Nagar along with his team went to the spot and searched the area. No empty bullet shells were found there.”
The Delhi Police have transferred the investigation to its crime branch, ANI reported on Monday.
Two shots fired
Asim Mohammed Khan, former Congress MLA from Okhla, said the incident occurred around 11.30 pm.
An undergraduate law student who was present at the spot told Hindustan Times that two shots were fired in the air. “The first shot was fired near gate number 5,” Arshaan Afaq said. “And we heard another noise when it crossed gate number 1. Though no one was hurt, situation here is tense. We have noted the number of the vehicle.”
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the incident was a “conspiracy” by the Bharatiya Janata Party to scare and threaten protestors, ANI reported. “Ruling party’s goons are doing such things and the government is silent,” he added. “Delhi is under Union Home Ministry, still they are not doing anything.”
On Saturday, a gunman had fired bullets in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh locality, which has emerged as the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. This came two days after a gunman shot a student near Jamia Millia Islamia while protestors were marching to the Gandhi memorial at Rajghat on the anniversary of the freedom struggle leader’s assassination.
Over the past week, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have made provocative remarks about protestors at Shaheen Bagh.
Hours after a gunman fired shots at protestors outside the Jamia Millia Islamia University on January 30, Home Minister Amit Shah asked Delhi voters at an election rally if they were “with Modi or Shaheen Bagh?” Earlier, Union minister Anurag Thakur had led a crowd of BJP supporters in chanting the slogan “shoot the traitors”. Lok Sabha BJP MP Parvesh Verma claimed protestors at Shaheen Bagh would “rape and kill your sisters and daughters”. These instances of hate speech prompted the Election Commission to ban Thakur and Verma from campaigning for a few days. On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath appeared to suggest the use of bullets as a means to get dissenters on board.
Hundreds of women, along with children, have been peacefully protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens at Shaheen Bagh since the middle of December. The law has been widely criticised as discriminatory and Indian Muslims fear it could be used along with the citizens’ register to harass and disenfranchise them.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!