×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

5 Opposition parties approach President Ram Nath Kovind against Delhi police's 'biased' probe into riots case

Last Updated 17 September 2020, 13:28 IST

Leaders of five Opposition parties -- the Congress, DMK, RJD, CPI(M) and CPI -- on Thursday knocked the doors of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, complaining about the Delhi Police's investigation into the Delhi riots. They claimed that it was "orchestrating a script" to link peaceful anti-CAA-NPR-NRC protests to the February riots and demanded a judicial enquiry into it.

Congress Treasurer Ahmed Patel, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, his CPI counterpart D Raja, DMK's Kanimozhi and RJD's Manoj K Jha met the President and handed over a memorandum raising questions over the role of the police in the riots in north-east Delhi that claimed 53 lives and its subsequent probe in the riots.

The leaders told Kovind that instead of conducting a probe into the hate speeches calling for violence by BJP leaders, the police, under the direction of Home Minister Amit Shah, were targeting activists, well-known intellectuals and leaders.

"Such manufacturing of conspiracy by the Delhi Police is a diversion from identifying and punishing the perpetrators of this communal violence. The victims of this violence are being arrested while the perpetrators are let off scot-free," they told the President.

They said the Delhi police probe did not inspire confidence and demanded that a "credible and unbiased probe is crucial to restore public trust in the law and order machinery of the state". They sought a probe under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 by a sitting or retired judge or judges.

In the letter, they said, there are "serious questions" about the role played by the Delhi Police itself during the violence and also the manner in which the police is "harassing and attempting to falsely implicate" activists involved in peaceful protests as the "perpetrators of violence".

"Such a manufactured conspiracy theory has now begun to falsely implicate political leaders," they said citing the mention of Yechury, a parliamentarian of "long-standing repute" as also well-known intellectuals, academicians and activists. "This is a disturbing trend that raises serious questions over the manner of such investigations," the letter said.

They also pointed out that there are several publicly documented accounts and videos of police being "complicit" in the violence, "directing" mobs pelting stones or "looking the other way" when mobs were indulging in violence.

"During the violence, a disturbing video emerged showing uniformed policemen assaulting young men lying injured on the road and forcing them to sing the national anthem while repeatedly beating them with lathis," they said adding that one of the men, Faizan, succumbed to his injuries a few days later.

They also claimed that the "DCP stood quietly next to a BJP leader (Kapil Mishra) who was instigating violence against the protestors, warning that if they did not vacate the road, he would do it himself".

"Despite several complaints being filed alleging involvement of senior police officials in the violence, including a DCP, additional commissioners and SHOs, it appears no urgency has been accorded to identifying the policemen involved in violence and ensuring that they are brought to book," the letter said.

"While the Delhi police has turned a blind eye towards the role of its own personnel and BJP leaders in the violence, at the same time the probe appears to be pursuing a line of inquiry criminalising the protests against the CAA and portraying them as a conspiracy which resulted in the riots in Delhi," they added.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 17 September 2020, 13:15 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT