THE Delhi state committee of the CPI(M) organised a press conference on February 23, on the theme “Subversion of Justice, Role of State Agencies”, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the communal violence in North East Delhi.  Brinda Karat, CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, K M Tiwari, secretary, Delhi state committee and six persons representing the families of the deceased/injured addressed the press conference.

Representatives of the bereaved families laid bare the partisan role of the Delhi police in the communal violence. They also accused the Delhi police in refusing to book and punish those responsible for the killing of their kith and kin. They appealed to the press fraternity to voice their concerns and help in ensuring justice to them.

Brinda Karat while addressing the press conference accused the home minister, Amit Shah and the Delhi police of refusing to prevent communal violence in North East Delhi. Instead in some places, the Delhi police participated in the attacks on minorities. By the BJP’s dictionary, the anti-national acts of hate speeches by Kapil Mishra and Anurag Thakur are considered to be patriotic acts. Leave alone taking action against them, the Modi government is framing false cases against young activists and arresting them under draconian laws like the UAPA.

She further stated that the Delhi police has in many cases refused to record the statement of relatives of the deceased. Instead, they are being threatened and youth belonging to the minority community are being framed in false cases. Only an independent enquiry can reveal the truth about the communal violence in North East Delhi and counter the government’s discourse of dubbing the victims of the violence as the culprits.

The Delhi state government’s policy of compensation has unjustly decided to give just Rs 5 lakhs to families of minors killed in the violence as against Rs 10 lakh to families of adult victims. This wrong should be corrected at the earliest. Similarly the state government should also help in ensuring livelihood for those whose bread earners were killed in communal violence.   

The press conference brought horrors of north-east Delhi riots fresh in the memories of many of the victims who had joined this press conference. Mohammad Wakil, a resident of Shiv Vihar was in tears though the same could not come out of his eyes as both his eyes were lost during the attack; acid was thrown on his face. Likewise, Mallika, a resident of Bhagwati Nagar recounted that on February 25, 2020, how she hid her husband in a bed box and applied sindoor(vermillion) on her head to escape from the attackers.

One of the important common denominators in all these stories was the connivance of the police in these attacks. Brinda Karat while terming the role of police as a deliberate subversion of its duty and justice, said that they worked at the behest of the BJP leaders, some of whom were present there during the riots. While demanding for an independent probe even after one year of the riots she said that the need was to question how the police allowed the national capital to burn for five days.