NEW DELHI: The death toll from deadly communal violence in New Delhi rose to 23 on Wednesday, Indian media reported.
Protests against a contentious citizenship law began on a smaller scale on Sunday but escalated on Monday and Tuesday into running battles between Hindus and Muslims in New Delhi’s north-east, where rioters armed with stones, swords and even guns were out in force.
Breaking his silence on the violence in the capital, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday afternoon appealed for calm. India’s Supreme Court termed the clashes as “unfortunate” while refusing to entertain pleas on them saying that it was for a high court to take note of the matter, The Print reported quoting PTI.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court heard a plea on the communal violence and said it cannot let “another 1984” happen on its “watch”, reported BBC. In 1984, more than 3,000 Sikhs were killed in anti-Sikh riots in the city, the publication added.
The court also ordered security for the capital’s citizens, Scroll.in reported.
Meanwhile, the capital’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the army should be called in and a curfew should also be imposed in the rest of the affected areas.
According to India Today, curfew was imposed in four areas of North East Delhi Maujpur, Jaffrabad, Chand Bagh and Karawal Nagar.
Additionally, the report added that a shoot-at-sight order was issued on Tuesday evening in the clash-hit areas.
On Wednesday, parts of the riot-hit areas were deserted, and a Reuters witness saw paramilitary and police forces deployed in much greater numbers. Reuters reported that there were no immediate reports of any fighting today. Police characterised the situation as tense but under control. Schools remained closed, and a ban on assembly continued.
However, Hindustan Times reported that fresh rounds of violence erupted in two localities of East Delhi on Wednesday morning.
“The situation is relatively better than yesterday in the violence hit areas,” the director of the Delhi fire department Atul Garg told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that the fire department had stationed additional vehicles in the area and senior officials are camping there.
“There are no rioters on the streets and our vehicles have been able to reach the area,” he said. All Metro stations in the city have been reopened. 20 people died and nearly 200 others were wounded in the first two days of violence, the director of the hospital where people were taken, told media on Wednesday.
Sixty people had suffered gunshot wounds, according to the director Sunil Kumar. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is closely following the situation in New Delhi, First Post reported. His spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief had stressed that demonstrators should be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and security forces should show restraint.
“I think it’s very important that demonstrators be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and that security forces show restraint. This is the SG’s constant position,” he said, adding that they were “obviously” following the situation closely. Reuters witnesses saw mobs wielding sticks, pipes and stones walking down streets in parts of northeast Delhi on Tuesday, amid incidents of arson, looting and stone-throwing. Clouds of black smoke billowed from a tyre market that had been set alight in the area, as fire trucks rushed to control the blaze.
