Delhi Violence: Non-Congress Opposition Parties Write to Prez, Demand Action Against Hate Speeches

New Delhi: Several non-Congress Opposition parties have written to President Ram Nath Kovind to direct authorities to ensure peace is restored in violence-hit Northeast Delhi and action against those accused of making provocative speeches.

Leaders from parties like Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Loktantrik Janata Dal, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Aam Aadmi Party have also sought time from Kovind to discuss the situation in the national capital.

"Immediate establishment of peace and a direction to authorities concerned, like the Lt Governor of Delhi who is directly answerable to you, to ensure speedy restoration of normalcy and to ensure that FIRs must be filed immediately against all who have made provocative hate speeches and the perpetrators of this violence must be brought to book," the leaders said in their letter.

The Congress had met the president on Thursday to seek normalcy and peace in areas hit by violence, and had demand Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation.

At least 42 were killed and over 200 injured in the communal clashes that broke out in Northeast Delhi on Monday after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters.

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

The letter was signed by CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, LJD's Sharad Yadav, NCP's Praful Patel, DMK's T R Balu, CPI's D Raja, RJD's Manoj Jha and AAP's Sanjay Singh.

The leaders also demanded setting up of relief camps for those who have been rendered homeless and providing them adequate security.

The parties also demanded that they be allowed to organise inter-faith peace events in riot-affected areas.

They also urged the president to facilitate opening of centres in the area to counsel those affected by the violence.

Mayawati Seeks Judicial Probe

In Lucknow, Bahujan Samaj Party President Mayawati on Friday also wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding a high-level judicial probe monitored by a Supreme Court judge into the violent clashes in Delhi.

Stressing that the violence has "trampled" Delhi like during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Mayawati termed them as most serious and unfortunate and said they have drawn the concern of the world and got negative publicity.

"A high-level inquiry monitored by a Supreme Court judge needs to be ordered into the violent clashes in Delhi so that a conclusion can be reached and stains on the national capital, like that of the anti-Sikh riots, could be washed off to some extent," Mayawati said in the letter released by the party here.

"The ruling party and the government have a special duty to see that neither they do anything that would damage the prestige of the country nor do their partymen give any statement or indulge in act that would lead to anarchy and violence and become international headlines," she said.

The BSP president charged that the "country has seen and felt that BJP and its government have failed to fulfil its legal and Constitutional duty as a result of which about three dozen lives have been lost and 200 have been injured and several businesses destroyed in times of high inflation, poverty and unemployment."

She also urged the President to direct the Delhi and Central governments to provide relief and assistance to those affected.

Mayawati said "negligence" and "failure" of the Delhi Police and administration in the riots was for everyone to see.