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Students protest outside Kejriwal’s residence as violence in northeast Delhi continues

SNS

Firefighters (L) stand near a brunt-out mosque and shops following clashes between people supporting and opposing a contentious amendment to India's citizenship law in New Delhi on February 26, 2020. - Four more people have died in some of the worst sectarian violence in decades in New Delhi, taking the death toll from several days of rioting to 17, hospital sources told AFP. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)


As death toll rises to 18 in the northeast Delhi riots, Delhi Police dispersed the crowd gathered outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Wednesday, who assembled there late last night demanding action against perpetrators of the violence in Delhi.

The agitation was carried out by students from Jawaharlal Nehru University, members of the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI) and Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC). They had surrounded Kejriwal’s residence. The protesters gathered at around midnight. Police personnel were seen removing them at around 3:30 am.

The students were demanding to meet him and submit a charter of demands over violence in the capital. Water cannons were used by the Delhi Police to disperse the crowd. The students later alleged that they were detained by the police and taken to nearby Civil Lines police station. JNU and Jamia student protesters gather outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in Delhi

Appealing to Kejriwal to take action against the violence in affected areas in northeast Delhi, protesters who called themselves concerned citizens, asked the Chief Minister to personally visit affected areas with local MLAs and organise peace marches to de-escalate tensions. They also urged the Chief Minister to inform citizens about steps taken by the Delhi government and allow all rescue operations to reach hospitals from the affected areas.

They further appealed to identify perpetrators of violence and take action against them. On Tuesday evening, Kejriwal called an urgent meeting at his residence, of MLAs and officials of the violence-hit areas of North East Delhi, to take stock of the situation and issued instructions to take all necessary steps to restore peace.

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval also reached Seelampur area at 12:30am in the midnight, to take stock of the situation and visited violence-hit areas. At least 18 people have died so far and around 250 are injured in the violence that has been raging in northeast Delhi from Monday.

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram says the violence in the national capital shows the “colossal failure of the Delhi Police”. Taking to Twitter, Chidambaram adds: “Two High Court judges had to hold a midnight hearing last night to ensure the safe evacuation of injured persons to a proper hospital. What does it say about the performance of Delhi Police?”

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