The violence that started in Maujpur, Delhi, on 23rd February still continues, and 20 people, including a police constable, have allegedly been killed.
The clashes first broke out on 23rd February, Sunday, particularly between protesters in favour of and against CAA, in Muslim-majority areas, in North East Delhi.
Modi ‘Whitewashes’ India For Trump As Delhi Burns
These areas are about 18kms from where Donald Trump has been meeting political leaders and diplomats. In anticipation of the US President’s arrival, the government built a ‘wall’ in Gujarat, to allegedly ‘hide’ slum dwellings.
A slum colony of over 1,000 huts, including narrow lanes and a lack of proper sewage lines, has been hidden from view.
“We have been living here for the last 60 years, when there was nothing here except jungle and even as our colony grew, so many dignitaries have gone by, but this is the first time that we are being hidden like this. Is Modi ashamed of us? Instead of hiding us, why doesn’t he make our living conditions better? Are we not a part of Gujarat too?” asked Bhikku Kaka, an elder of the Vanjara community.
While India’s PM and the American President attend functions and events together, Delhi burns. Seemingly, the recent events in North East Delhi have not impacted the visit in any way.
Amidst chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ mosques were allegedly set on fire. According to Delhi Police, curfew has been imposed in four areas of North East Delhi.
The situation worsened on Monday as extreme violence, rioting and arson were reported from Maujpur, Kardampuri, Chand Bagh, Dayalpur, Bhajanpura, and nearby areas of Delhi.
Schools will remain closed on Wednesday, 26th February, in areas where violence had been most severe, said Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. He further added that internal examinations were postponed.
“Kapil Mishra had come to Maujpur and said in front of senior police officers; ‘We will be peaceful till US President Donald Trump is here, but after that, we will not even listen to the police to open the roads.”
Even three reporters and one cameraperson of NDTV were assaulted by the mobs who were armed in northeast Delhi.
While the violence engulfed the city, Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, who is responsible for maintaining law and order in the Union Territory of Delhi and whose ministry controls the Delhi Police was nowhere to be seen.
Videos Of What’s Happening On The Ground
Here are some videos from the sight of clashes to have an insight into what’s happened and currently happening.
Anti-CAA protestors and Pro-CAA protestors can be seen in the epicentre of Delhi violence between Jaffrabad and Maujpur area, respectively, north-east Delhi.
From ground zero walking right towards the epicentre of violence between Jaffrabad/Maujpur area of north-east Delhi.
On one side are anti-CAA protesters from Jaffrabad & on the other side are pro-CAA protesters from Maujpur.
I report @TheQuint
*Deleted this by mistake. pic.twitter.com/YOuam4MFD4— Aishwarya S Iyer (@iyersaishwarya) February 24, 2020
“Jai Shri Ram kehna hoga” (They’ll have to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’) Vandana Sharma, a resident of Babarpur, told The Quint.
“They stay in our country, eat out food and root for Pakistan. These days girls say ‘Pakistan is ours’, if you are talking about Pakistan so much, then go and live there too,” Vandana Sharma, a resident of Babarpur, told @thequint
This is at the Maujpur chowk. pic.twitter.com/YrpJl3gz9b
— Aishwarya S Iyer (@iyersaishwarya) February 25, 2020
This video quickly went viral on social media. The gunman can be seen running towards the cop and shouting “maar dunga tumhein” (will kill you) while he points the gun at him.
Chilling that this man is still free. This anti-CAA protestor reportedly ran up to the cop here and shouted ‘maar dunga tumhein’ while pointing the gun at him, reports @priyanktripathi pic.twitter.com/9TgL9FiE4x
— Padmaja joshi (@PadmajaJoshi) February 24, 2020
Pro-CAA protestors can be seen setting a shop on fire at Maujpur Chowk.
Things are extremely tense in Maujpur-Jaffrabad.
Here is a video I clicked at 3.14 pm at Maujpur Chowk where I saw pro CAA protestors set a shop on fire. pic.twitter.com/fXbcrTkcwO
— Vijayta Lalwani (@VijaytaL) February 24, 2020
The mob was seen carrying sticks, stones, and arson. “We were being stopped from filming,” said Yogita Limaye.
Very volatile in Yamuna Vihar. We’ve seen mobs of men carrying sticks and stones. There’s been arson. We were being stopped from filming. You can someone yelling that at the end of video. #DelhiBurning #DelhiViolence pic.twitter.com/5QrRnsieM5
— Yogita Limaye (@yogital) February 25, 2020
Mohammad Nawab ferries goods from the Bawana industrial area. He, along with his partner, was stopped, identified by their religion and allegedly beaten up by a mob, and robbed of their documents and keys. Their vehicle was stopped near the Gokulpuri market.
2 pm// Mohammad Nawab, who ferries goods from Bawana industrial area, and his partner were stopped, identified by their religion and beaten up by a mob who stopped their vehicle near Gokulpuri market. The mob snatched their documents and keys. pic.twitter.com/vDYFb5Mh0f
— Abhishek Dey (@abhishekdey04) February 25, 2020
Not only vehicles, buses, and shops are burning. The nation is burning.
OMG.
They aren’t burning just cars, they are burning India. pic.twitter.com/aqZHbUvz2u— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) February 25, 2020
Modi A “Temporary Symbol Of Hate”: John Oliver
In a recent episode of HBO’s ‘Last Week Tonight With John Oliver’ which aired in the US on Sunday night, the comedian discussed PM Modi, Amit Shah, and Yogi Adityanath and how they are executing their politics of hate to drive the Muslim population out of the country. He referred to Modi as a “temporary symbol of hate.”
“Modi and his party may be about to strip millions of Muslims of citizenship, and they did it in a diabolically clever two-step way,” he said.