Communalism

The communal riots erupted in North East Delhi on February 24, 2020, the result of clashes between the supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those opposing it. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act provided a way for undocumented migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to gain Indian citizenship – as long as they were not Muslim. Passed in December 2019, the act provoked protests across India.

https://scroll.in/article/1079476/five-years-later-delhi-polices-riots-conspiracy-case-is-built-on-sand 

Some alleged that the Delhi riots had been triggered by inflammatory speeches by the leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party against those protesting against the act. In an order on Feburary 26, 2020, a Delhi High Court judge had noted that remarks of four BJP leaders – Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma – met the Indian Penal Code’s definition of hate speech.

However, the Delhi police instead booked 20 leaders and participants of the anti-CAA movement under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. They have been accused of orchestrating the riots as the culmination of a plan they had created over several months. Eighteen of them were arrested by the police through 2020. Two are absconding. Five years after the riots, 12 of them – all Muslim – continue to languish in prison, with the trial yet to even begin.

Scroll’s analysis shows that a predetermined narrative runs through the chargesheets, rarely reflecting the facts on the ground. The prosecution’s case seems to be based on fragile foundations, with little direct evidence, dangerously blurring the lines between legitimate protest and terrorism.

by Vineet Bhalla

24/02/2025