Communal clashes broke out between two communities during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area on Saturday, leaving nearly a dozen people injured, including six policemen.
Police said there was stone-pelting and some vehicles were also torched in the violence that occurred at around 6 pm. Heavy deployment of police forces continued in the are till Sunday morning, where the situation remains tense.
This is the first major communal flare-up in the national capital since the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and many more injured. While no casualties were reported on Saturday, police said 10-12 people were injured, including six officers. They had been taken to hospital and were recuperating.
Delhi Police has registered an FIR into the case of violence. “We have lodged an FIR into the incident and an investigation has been initiated,” Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, New Delhi, Dependra Pathak said.
Delhi Police PRO Anyesh Roy told PTI that it was a traditional procession taken out on Hanuman Jayanti every year. ”When the procession reached Kushal Cinema, a clash broke out between two communities. Stones were also pelted,” Roy said.
“The police personnel deployed with the procession intervened and brought the situation under control but because of the stone pelting, some policemen were injured and were taken to hospital for treatment. ”’The situation is under control. All senior officers are on the spot. Since it is a sensitive area, additional police forces have been made available,” he said.
Special Commissioner, Law and Order (Zone 1), Deependra Pathak, told PTI: “There is peace and tranquillity. We are communicating with the people. We have requested them to maintain peace and not pay heed to rumours.”
Talking about the security arrangements in Jahangirpuri, he said, “We (deployed police personnel) are in adequate numbers, and we have contained the situation.”
More than 5-6 police personnel are injured and according to latest information, only one civilian was hurt, Pathak said, adding that the injured have been mainly taken to the Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital. Asked about what led to the violence, he said, “It is a matter of investigation. We are investigating it.”
Condemning the violence and terming it “unfortunate”, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said that those behind this incident will not be spared, according to officials. Taking stock of the situation along with Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, he appealed to people to maintain peace and restrain, and cooperate with police in maintaining law and order, a senior official said.
The Lt Governor also asked Asthana to depute forces at all other identified sensitive areas and localities in Delhi, and ensure mobile patrolling and vigil under the direct supervision and responsibility of senior officers, he said.
Chief Minister Kejriwal said that the incident is extremely condemnable and appealed to all to maintain peace. He said the Lt Governor has assured him that all steps are being to ensure peace and that guilty will not be spared. “The incident of stone-pelting on Shobhayatra (procession) in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri is extremely condemnable. Strict action should be taken against the guilty. Appeal to all – maintain peace and hold each other”s other,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Some BJP leaders, including Kapil Mishra and Delhi’s party unit spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, alleged that it was the handiwork of illegal Bangladeshi migrants living in the area. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari claimed it was “part of a big conspiracy that should be probed immediately and strict action should be taken against the culprits”.
Officials said overall security has been stepped up in all the remaining 14 police districts of the national capital and technical surveillance has been also mounted to ensure no untoward incident takes place.
