Don’t be confused by the big media narrative of pro- and anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters or “two sides” fighting it out in the streets of Delhi. And for heaven’s sake don’t fall for the ludicrous claim made by the minister of state for home affairs G. Kishan Reddy that the continuing violence is a “conspiracy to defame India.”
As the death toll from the Delhi Riots inches past 30, we need to remind ourselves that until the violence was cynically unleashed on the women and children protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in different parts of North East Delhi – most of whom are Muslim – the national capital had witnessed 70 days of peace.
Throughout the 70 days of peaceful protest across multiple locations, there were no mobs on the rampage, no stone pelting, no burning of shops and homes. Only people sitting on dharna, surrounded by the national flag, copies of the preamble of the constitution and portraits of national icons like Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Azad
So why did violence suddenly engulf the city? Who willed it? Who allowed it to happen? By now, there is no dispute that the violence and communal riots of the past three days clearly followed the call for direct action against the protesters that was made by BJP leader Kapil Mishra in full view of the Delhi Police. And that the Delhi Police, which reports to Union home ministry, not only failed to clamp down on inflammatory speech but also on the violence when it erupted.
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