Jahangirpuri violence: Delhi Police chief says no bid to plant saffron flag on mosque
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Apr, 2022 10:04 AM
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) There is no evidence for the theory that a bid to plant saffron flags at a mosque led to violence in Delhi's Jahangirpuri but was "a minor argument which later took the shape of massive violence", Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said on Monday.
"The people who are saying that someone attempted to plant a flag there... it is not true," he said at a press briefing on the Jahangirpuri communal violence.
He said it is too soon to tell what the reason for provocation was . "This is part of the investigation. I can't tell you anything because the investigation is yet to be completed," he said.
Asked again about planting the saffron flag, Asthana said: "It is not right. There was no such thing."
However, Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind's Delhi state General Secretary Abdul Raziq, who visited the site of the violence along with a delegation on Sunday, told IANS that when the third procession was passing near the mosque, some miscreants tried to enter and place a 'saffron flag' at the gate of the mosque.
Asthana also said that at the time of violence the police were present in adequate numbers and initially even managed to separate both the groups.
"Nine people, including 8 cops, were injured in the clashes. This shows that the police efficiently did their job which prevented any injury to the public," he added.
India on Friday revised the existing guidelines for all international arrivals in India in view of the rising Covid cases and the Omicron threat, to make seven days home quarantine mandatory. The new guidelines will be effective from January 11 till further notice.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
On Thursday, senior BJP leaders including chief ministers of the party ruled states offered prayers at temples across the country for the well-being and long life of Prime Minister Modi after his security was breached in Punjab on January 5.
Most of these farmers had earlier stated that they were present at the spot but were not involved in the attack. They were, at that time, charged under bailable sections such as 'rioting' and 'voluntarily causing hurt' and were let off by the SIT officials under Section 41 of the CrPC.
The Congress is witnessing internal bickering on the issue of security breach of the Prime Minister and Congress MP from Punjab Manish Tewari has termed the incidence as most unfortunate and said the matter should be probed by a sitting High Court Judge.
Addressing a gathering in Tanda in Hoshiarpur district after laying the foundation stone of development work, the Chief Minister said there was no threat to the life of the Prime Minister but he cancelled his programme on Wednesday because of the thin presence of people at the BJP's rally.
