National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma, after a visit to Jaffrabad to look into the condition of women today said, the situation is peaceful but there is “tension in the air.” Jaffrabad is one of the worst affected areas in the riot-hit northeast Delhi.

Sharma will visit the area on Saturday as well, as today she could not meet enough women due to the police being busy in giving security for Friday prayers.

Advertisement

“We met a few women but the way we wanted to meet them could not happen. The situation was peaceful but tension was there in the air,” news agency PTI quoted Sharma as saying.

According to Sharma, DCW went through the data provided by the police and it showed three women were injured but it wasn’t direct injuries.

“No rape or molestation was recorded by the police,” Sharma said.

At least 42 people have lost their lives and more than 250 injured as armed mobs rampaged through parts of northeast Delhi since Sunday and continued till Tuesday, looting and burning buildings and attacking the residents.

The national capital witnessed unprecedented violence as two groups — supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) — clashed in the Northeast district. As the riots went out of control, the police had also issued shoot at sight orders in parts of the northeast district on Tuesday evening.

The areas worst affected in the violence include Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh, Khureji Khas and Bhajanpura.

The violence started on Saturday last week after BJP leader Kapil Mishra carried out a rally in Jaffrabad area and gave a three-day ultimatum to the anti-CAA protesters in the area to clear. “Three days’ ultimatum for Delhi Police – clear the roads in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. After this, we won’t listen to you,” he declared. In a video of the speech, he can be seen making these incendiary comments even as a Delhi Police officer stands next to him.

Delhi High Court reprimanded the state police for its inaction against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma who have given hate speeches against anti-CAA protesters and targeted Muslims.

However, Justice Muralidhar, who grilled the city police for its inability to handle the riot situation, was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a late-night order on Wednesday.