21 Men Arrested In Delhi Hanuman Jayanti Violence
Members of two communities clashed in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area last night after stones were allegedly thrown at a Hanuman Jayanti procession.
Communal tensions have recently seen a surge (increase) across India. A week ago there were communal clashes in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Jharkhand during Ram Navami processions where some people allegedly triggered violence. Similar clashes broke out in Northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri area on 16th April evening. 16th April was Hanuman Jayanti . There was a Hanuman Jayanti procession going on in the area. The members of the procession alleged that when the procession was passing near a mosque, a man named Ansar, brought four or five people with him and started arguments. After this altercation escalated to stone pelting from both sides and then fights.
According to the police, nine people were injured in the clashes, including eight police officers and one civilian. The Muslims in the area have claimed that those participating in the Hanuman Jayanti procession carried weapons and tried to vandalise a mosque. Participants in the procession admitted that they carried arms but blamed the violence on the Muslims as they threw stones at them. Both sides have accused the other of initiating the violence. The police have registered a case under sections relating to rioting, attempt to murder and Arms Act. Ten teams from the Crime Branch and Special Cell have been formed to investigate the matter. The police checked all the CCTV footage and identified the main conspirators. According to the police 21 people have been arrested and two minors have also been apprehended over the violence. Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Medhalal Meena is among those injured. He has a bullet wound in his hand and the person who shot him has been arrested. His condition is now stable. Three country-made pistols and five swords have been seized from the arrested men. In a video that emerged on Sunday afternoon, a second man has also been seen firing a pistol. The police said he has been identified and efforts are on to arrest him.
In the meantime, the political parties too started blaming each other. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta alleged that the violence was the result of the AAP government helping illegal stay of Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants. The Aam Aadmi Party in return has alleged that the BJP was behind the violence during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Jahangirpuri. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has condemned the action and wrote on Twitter "Appeal to everyone to hold each others' hands and maintain peace,”Similar incidents also occured in Uttarakhand's Roorkee and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.
