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- Shobha Yatra was going on in Delhi Jahangirpuri on Hanuman Jayanti, suddenly hundreds of people who came on the road pelted stones.
New Delhi10 hours agoAuthor: Vaibhav Palnitkar
There is police arrangement as far as can be seen. Police vehicles playing sirens in the evening, policemen in khaki uniform, sticks in hand, barricades, Rapid Action Force also deployed separately. Brick-stones, broken glass bottles, burnt vehicles scattered on the streets. Frightened eyes peeping through the windows, doors, roofs. There is fear in these eyes as well as anger.
This is the road in front of Jahangirpur G Block, where there was terrible stone pelting and bottles were thrown.
This is the condition of Jahangirpuri, the capital of the country, Delhi. There were reports of stone-pelting, violence and arson from here around 6 pm on April 16. Violence broke out between the two communities after stone-pelting allegedly took place on the procession going out on Hanuman Jayanti in the evening. Dainik Bhaskar’s team reached the spot immediately after the violence and we got a 3-minute video from an eyewitness at the scene of the incident. This video has been shot from the building at the exact same place, where most of the violence took place.
The crowd standing on the road pelted stones in the localities
In the video that we got from the local people, it is clearly visible that a frenzied crowd is coming from one side and moving forward and pelting stones, you can watch the full video by clicking above.
There is noise when the video starts, but the roads are looking empty. From one side, the crowd of a particular community suddenly starts gathering and on sight hundreds of people come on the streets. After this stones and glass bottles are thrown.
The crowd standing on the road enters other localities and starts pelting stones at people’s houses. People’s shops are looted with stone pelting. Vehicles are vandalized and set on fire.
The stone pelting was so fast that the stones came to my house in the street.
Sunita Singh, who lives in Jahangirpuri G Block, is peeping through the gate of her block and fear is clearly visible on her face.
When we reached the spot in Jahangirpuri, very few people were visible there. But as soon as we left the main road and went to the nearby street, people started speaking. Ritu Kashyap, who lives here, made a video of the entire incident of violence from her terrace.
Sunita Singh, who lives in Jahangirpuri G Block, says that ‘There was a lot of commotion in front of our house. Muslims attacked the procession on the day of Hanuman Jayanti. I live inside the street, but there was such a strong stone pelting that stones have come to my house. We also heard gunshots.
Munni Devi, who lives in this street, says that ‘I was watching TV in the house and suddenly loud noises started coming. When I went out, I saw the Muslims of C-Block coming out with swords, knives, sticks. He was driving the Hindus who were part of the procession.
‘I narrowly survived the firing’
In the video shared with us by Harsh, who was a part of the procession, it is clearly visible that in the procession too, violent slogans are being raised and swords are being waved.
Harsh Singh also lives in Jahangirpuri and he himself was a part of the Hanuman Jayanti procession that was allegedly attacked. He told, ‘When our procession came out near the mosque, brick stones started falling from the top of the mosque. A crowd of about a thousand wearing caps came out from near the mosque. People also had knives, swords and country-made kattas in their hands. I myself have narrowly avoided firing.
Harsh shared with us some videos of the procession. Dozens of people are waving saffron flags, swords and daggers in the procession. Slogans and songs related to Kashmir and Pakistan are playing in the screaming voice of DJ. The boys are shouting and dancing in the procession.
Saffron flags were lying in the mosque premises
This is the mosque in Jahangirpuri, in front of which the violence allegedly started. Saffron flags are seen lying in the mosque premises.
After talking to the people of the Hindu community, we proceeded towards the crossroads where there is the strongest police settlement. Local people said that on the other side of this intersection is a Muslim-dominated area and there is the mosque from where the violence allegedly started. After crossing the police barricading, we reached near the same mosque. There were some saffron flags lying in front and inside the mosque premises.
Sajid Saifi, who runs an electronic shop right next to the mosque, says that ‘Bajrang Dal’s were taking out processions since morning. Processions were being taken out from different places in Jahangirpuri. When it reached near the mosque, the procession was stopped for 10-15 minutes and lewd slogans were raised. First I closed my shop.
I saw two people carrying saffron flags and started climbing on the gate of the mosque. I don’t understand what is the craze of entering the mosque carrying a flag? There were thousands of people during the procession, but the police were not visible. Had there been good police arrangements, perhaps this violence would not have happened.
Doubt over the claim that stone pelting started from the mosque
It was claimed that stones were pelted on the procession from mosques, but the road in front of the mosque looked empty. Stones and glass were found scattered 100 meters away from here.
Harsh, who attended the procession, told us that when the procession reached in front of the mosque, suddenly stones started falling. But we could not see anything like the stones scattered on the road in front of the mosque. About 100-150 meters ahead of the mosque, stone and glass pieces start being found at the crossroads. It is clear that the claim that stone pelting started from the mosque does not seem right.
Sajid Saifi says that ‘If we had to kill Hindus only, then there is a temple of Kali Devi near our mosque, why did no one throw any stone on it. Bajrang Dal people do the work of provocation and after that violence starts, which no one can control.
Mohammad Amiruddin is also an eyewitness to the violence, he says that ‘around 6.15 pm it is time to break the fast and offer prayers. Then the procession stopped in front of the mosque and people started getting furious in front of the mosque. After this the violence started. Mohammad raises the question that did he take permission from the administration to wave swords and daggers in the procession?
Police guard in the area
By around 10 pm, heavy police arrangements had been deployed in the area and peace has prevailed.
However, police are trying to maintain peace after the procession and communal violence on the occasion of Bajrangbali’s birthday. Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said, “The situation is under control. We have deployed force where the incident happened. Along with this, special deployment has been made in sensitive areas all over Delhi. We will take strict action against the culprits.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also inquired about the situation from Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana. They have been directed to take all necessary steps to maintain law and order.