Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday criticised fellow party leader Kapil Mishra’s incendiary remarks for the clashes that broke out in Delhi over the Citizenship Amendment Act and said action should be taken against him, PTI reported.
Parts of Northeast Delhi continued to be hit by violence on Tuesday, with the toll from clashes over the Citizenship Amendment Act reaching eight. Scroll.in reporters at the spot witnessed Hindu mobs throwing stones and petrol bombs at Muslim homes across the road in Kabir Nagar, near Maujpur.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to a hospital in Delhi where injured policemen are undergoing treatment, Gambhir said strict action should be taken against those responsible for inciting violence irrespective of their political allegiance. “No matter who the person is, whether he is Kapil Mishra or anyone else, belonging to any party, if he has given any provoking speech, then strict action should be taken against him,” he said. “This is about Delhi [and] not about any political party.”
On Sunday, Mishra gave the police a three-day ultimatum to stop an anti-CAA protest that began on Saturday night. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said he would not listen even to the police after three days.
Simultaneously, Gambhir also accused anti-CAA protesters in the national Capital of purposely indulging in violence ahead of United State’s President Donald Trump’s visit. “Shaheen Bagh was a peaceful protest all this while. But, Trump is here and there are violent protests happening here – this is not fair,” he said, according to NDTV. “Right to peaceful protest is okay. But picking up stones is not. How can you stand with a pistol in front of a cop?”
Clashes erupted between supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and its opponents in North East Delhi on Sunday. The next day, a constable and six civilians were killed, and at least 50 people were injured as mobs threw stones at each other, and set shops, houses and vehicles on fire.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he had a “positive meeting” with Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the clashes and violence in Delhi. In an address to the media, he claimed that the police were outnumbered and were unable to take action since they did not have the orders to do so.
The Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court will both hear pleas on the violence on Wednesday.
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