JIH blames police 'laxity' for Jahangirpuri violence

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) A Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) delegation, which on Tuesday visited Jahangirpuri in north-west Delhi, where violent clashes had broken out between the members of two communities on April 16, said that police laxity was one of the reasons for the violence, and termed it as a 'planned' incident.

"The manner in which the violence occurred clearly suggest that it was not a sudden outbreak, but deliberately planned," said a statement issued by the organisation.

Talking to mediapersons during the visit, Saleem Emgineer, Vice President of JIH, termed the incident as "painful, tragic and an outcome of a planned conspiracy".

The delegation said, "Processions were taken out twice before the violence on that day to spoil the atmosphere. When the third one was taken out during the exact time of Iftar and prayers, some people suddenly came out playing loud music.

"Same people, who were part of the procession, raised provocative slogans. Some of them, armed with weapons, openly brandished them during the procession, according to locals. The delegation also came to know that permission for the procession had not been given and adequate police force had not been deployed to control any untoward incident."

The delegation has demanded that the police should avoid unilateral action and arrest the culprits as soon as possible, and take stern action against whoever is guilty without any discrimination.