The stone-pelting and arson that ensued on Saturday evening comes days after violence erupted during the Ram Navami processions in several states.
On Sunday morning, heavy security remains deployed in Jahangirpuri, while police in all 14 districts has been put on high alert with senior officers asked to be on the ground.
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Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Dependra Pathak had said late Saturday night that a case had been registered and investigation had begun.
Pathak had added that “the police team present on the spot immediately contained the situation in the clash during Shobha Yatra and maintained peace and order.”
What Happened at the March?
As per the police, an argument broke out between two communities after which “things escalated, and both sides started pelting stones at each other. They damaged public property and torched vehicles.”
An officer added that “police tried to control the crowd during which several personnel were injured.”
Twenty-seven-year-old Mastan, a resident of Block C, told The Indian Express, that he was out buying fruits at the time, when those in the Hanuman Jayanti rally raised slogans such as “Bharat mein rehna hoga toh Jai Shri Ram kehna hoga. (If you want to stay in India, you will have to chant Jai Shri Ram.)”
Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said on Saturday night: “In today’s incident in the North West district, the situation is under control. Adequate additional force has been deployed in Jahangirpuri and other sensitive areas.”
He added that two policemen were injured in the clashes, and that “strict action will be taken against rioters.”
‘Central Govt Has Responsibility To Maintain Peace in Delhi’: Kejriwal
“The incident of stone pelting in the procession in Jahangir Puri, Delhi is highly condemnable. Strict action should be taken against those who are guilty. Appeal to all people- maintain peace by standing together (sic),” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.
“Spoke to Hon’ble LG. He assured that all steps are being taken to ensure peace and that guilty will not be spared,”
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Kapil Mishra Calls Clashes ‘Terrorist Attack,’ Says Illegal Settlements Should Be ‘Bulldozed’
Meanwhile, several BJP leaders, including Kapil Mishra, BJP Delhi chief Adesh Gupta, and MP Manoj Tiwari have alleged a conspiracy behind the clashes and pointed fingers at “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and “Rohingya refugees”.
Calling for houses to be bulldozed, controversial BJP-leader Mishra said, “Jahangirpuri is an area known for illegal Bangladeshi settlers. It is necessary that they be identified, that their homes be bulldozed. Each hand that has picked up a stone or a petrol bomb today, such action should be taken that the hands can never be raised again,” Mishra said.
Further, Mishra called Jahangirpuri ‘Mini Pakistan’ and termed the clashes a ‘terrorist attack’.
Manoj Tiwari, the BJP MP from Northeast Delhi, said, “This incident did not occur all of a sudden; it is a conspiracy…Though the situation is getting back to normal,… there should be a thorough probe on who are the culprits, where the stones came from… Their houses should be checked for weapons, and their IDs.”
