Violence in north-east Delhi well-planned and one-sided: Minorities panel

The violence in north-east Delhi last month was “one-sided”, “well-planned” and “maximum damage was inflicted on Muslim houses and shops with local support” – these are some of the findings published in a fact-finding report prepared by the Delhi Minorities Commission on Wednesday.

The commission, which is a statutory body set up under the Delhi Minorities Commission Act, 1999, also said in its report that residents of the Khajuri Khas locality told them that violence erupted after a speech by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra on Sunday, February 23.

Mishra did not respond to phone calls and text messages seeking his response to the findings of the report.

In its two-page report, which HT has reviewed , the commission further spoke about how mobs used cooking gas cylinders to heighten the impact of the arson incidents, and looted most homes and shops which they eventually torched.

The report, which will be published on the commission’s website, appreciated the role of the police in rescue operations during the communal violence, even as Delhi Police has drawn flak from several quarters regarding the way the law and order situation was handled.

The report also suggested that the Delhi government should increase the compensation to help the victims of last week’s violence, which has claimed at least 47 lives and left 422 injured. At least 28 of the 41 identified among the deceased were Muslims.

“It is our assessment that the violence in north-east district of Delhi was one-sided and well-planned in which maximum damage was inflicted on Muslim houses and shops with local support. Without massive help these people will not be able to rebuild their lives. We feel that the compensation announced by Delhi government is not adequate for the purpose,” the conclusion of the report read.

The commission’s chairman, Zafarul Islam Khan, said that the team -- he and commission member Kartar Singh Kochhar -- visited several violence-affected localities which include Chand Jafrabad, Chand Bagh, Brijpuri, Gokalpuri, Mustafabad, Shiv Vihar, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura and Khajoori Khas. They visited all schools and mosques which were damaged in these localities.

“The report has been prepared on the basis of the field visits by the member of the commission,” he said.

On February 26, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed “outsiders” and “political and antisocial elements” for the violence, and urged Union home minister Amit Shah to bring in the army if needed and impose curfew in all violence-hit areas in north-east Delhi.

On February 27, the chief minister announced a slew of relief measures, which include food, rehabilitation, compensations and ex-gratia financial aid for the victims. By Tuesday night, the government had received more than 1,000 application for compensations and released around ₹40 lakh as ex-gratia relief, senior government officials said.

The Delhi government did not respond to the findings of the commission.

The north-east district administration has also set up 18 teams led by sub-divisional magistrates for a “damage assessment” survey. So far, these teams have recorded damage done to as many as 946 properties - which include residences, shops as well as vehicles which were ransacked and torched – and the numbers are likely to go up as the final report is prepared, senior officials in the district magistrate’s office said.

However, the government’s interim report on damage assessment, which HT has seen, does not mention names or faiths of the victims whose properties were damaged.

Khan further said, “Residents in several localities told us that violence started late in the night of 23 February, shortly after the threat and ultimatum of Kapil Mishra.”

On February 23, a protest was organised against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Jafrabad neighbourhood. Mishra attended it, and gave the police an ultimatum to clear the sit-in demonstration site in three days.

This was a day before US President Donald Trump was in India for a two-day visit.