Lok Janshakti Party leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday said the communal violence in Delhi, where at least 42 people were killed and over 200 injured, is a “national blot”, IANS reported. Paswan, who is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, sought quick trial of the case in a fast-track court to ensure that justice is not delayed like in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The violence erupted after clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act in North East Delhi. The police have been accused of either inaction or complicity in the violence against large-scale communal violence.
“Action should be taken against those also who made inflammatory statements and no one should be discriminated in this case,” Paswan added.
Last Sunday, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra had challenged the police to clear protest sites or threatened that he and his supporters would do it. Clashes broke out hours after this, though there is no evidence to connect the violence to Mishra’s remarks.
Paswan also said the law for sentencing should also be changed if required but it should not be delayed under any circumstances. “Can anyone call the riot anything less than a blot on our face when so many people have been killed brutally and residential and commercial blocks were put on fire,” Paswan asked, according to The Times of India. “All this happened when US President was here. When locals – both Hindus and Muslims – came to rescue of each other, some disruptive elements created the havoc. They have no religion, caste or creed.”
Earlier this week, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujral had also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, accusing the police of “inaction” during the clashes.
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