Did the police give permission to participants of the Hanuman Shobha Yatra held in Jehangirpuri in north-east Delhi on Saturday to carry firearms and swords, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat asked Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana to explain.
In a letter, Ms. Karat also criticised the Delhi Police for carrying out a “one-sided” investigation where only those belonging to one community were being arrested for the riots. The Delhi Police should explain why the procession was allowed to stop in front of the mosque, triggering the riots.
“You have stated that people from both communities have been arrested. We stand for the arrest and punishment of all those guilty. However, the overwhelming majority of arrests are from the minority community whereas the course of events shows that the main provocations and planning for the incidents was done by the organisation which held the procession, an affiliate of the Bajrang Dal as stated by the police,” Ms. Karat wrote.
Cites videos
Citing the videos aired on several television channels along with eyewitness reports, the CPI(M) leader said these clearly showed that the procession taken out by members of the youth wing of the Bajrang Dal was armed with several men carrying naked swords, lathis and shockingly firearms. “These weapons were openly flaunted and brandished during the procession. The police have stated that the procession had police permission. Did the police give permission to carry arms? In fact the processionists who carried arms had clearly violated the Arms Act which has stringent provisions of imprisonment for such violations,” Ms. Karat added.
It was not clear, she said, from Mr. Asthana’s statements whether the persons who were carrying the arms had been booked under the relevant provisions of law including the Arms Act. “It is also unclear from your statement whether there is any investigation into the role of the police. Who is accountable for allowing an armed procession to stop in front of a mosque shouting provocative and aggressive slogans at the exact time when the prayers to break the Roza fast were scheduled to begin? Such deliberate acts of omission and commission by the police have directly resulted in the ensuing incidents,” Ms. Karat said.
The CPI(M) leader demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident and punishment to the police officers for failing to prevent the riots.
