Masihuzzama Ansari
NEW DELHI—Muslim residents of Jahangirpuri who witnessed an attack on Muslim houses, their shops, and religious places following Hanuman Jayanti processions on April 16 evening are living in awe and fear. Muslims allege that the police action is “one-sided”. They are arresting mainly Muslims while it was the miscreants from among the rallyists who had initiated the violence.
The Muslims say they acted in self-defence and protected the mosque that was attacked by miscreants armed with swords and other sharp-edged weapons.
However, police say they have arrested “accused” from “both the communities”. So far, police are learned to have arrested 28 people, five of them from one family of the Muslim community. Two minors arrested are also from the Muslim community. Out of the total arrests made so far, only five are reported to be from among those connected with the Hanuman Jayanti procession.
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However, DCP(Northwest) Usha Rangnani denies the allegations against the police. She says no one needs to entertain any fear. She has assured that action would be taken against “accused” persons. However, no one knows who is the “accused” as per her definition because what is visible is that action has been initiated chiefly against Muslims. While the procession was taken out by Hindu outfits and one of the three processions was taken out with police permission, police accused a Muslim youth behind the main conspirator of the violence, not the processionists.
Why was the procession taken out in front of the local mosque three times? What was the conspiracy behind it? It was after the third round of the procession that violence began. According to local Muslims, the processionists used abuse against Muslims during the third round, shouted offensive slogans, entered the mosque, and climbed up its main gate. However, police deny that processionists entered the mosque and installed a saffron flag atop the mosque’s gate. From the police statements to the media and the FIR registered in connection with the violence, the police seem to be speaking the language of the processionists, not as a neutral agency.
Why did the processionists carry swords and other sharp-aged weapons during the processions? Why did the police allow the carrying of weapons? Was it not the responsibility of the police to seize all these weapons from the processionists and book cases against them and the organizers of the procession? Police are silent on all these issues.
How did the violence erupt?
According to locals, three rallies were taken out on April 16. No clash took place during the first two rallies. But slogans offensive to Muslims were raised by the rallyists outside the mosque during the third rally. Local Muslims allege that participants of the rally made a bid to hoist the saffron flag at the entry gate of the mosque. Police commissioner Rakesh Asthana on April 18, confessed that there was no permission for the third rally. Hence, the question arises: Why did the police allow the third rally when there was no permission? Why did it not take measures to disperse the rallyists from the area? Why did it let the unauthorized rally go to the mosque when the rallyists were carrying arms? And yet, the police claim that Muslims are the chief conspirators behind the Jahangirpuri violence. Who will investigate it, mainly why the police were so “friendly” to the rallyists and permitted them to pass through the sensitive Muslim locality with swords and other weapons? If police investigate it, its findings can’t be trusted because the role of the police in the entire episode is considered to be suspect by the Muslim community.
An eyewitness told India Tomorrow that the procession passing from outside the mosque was the third rally on April 16. He alleged that rallyists were waving swords and other weapons in their hands. The arguments between Muslims and the rallyists occurred when some of the rallyists entered the mosque and raised objectionable slogans against the Muslims. Others made a bid to install the saffron flag on the entry gate of the mosque.
Noor Ahmed, a local Muslim, told this scribe: “What will one do if someone enters your religious place forcibly, raises slogans offensive to your religion, and tries to install the flag of his religion? Will you not resist?”
Another resident Jahangir, said, “Rallies have been taken out earlier as well on Kali Puja and Ganesh Jayanti. But it was for the first time that people brandished swords and other weapons in a religious rally.”
Jahangir said that some people participating in the rally brandished swords and several others asked Muslims to raise “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. A few among them climbed up the mosque’s gate and made a bid to unfurl the “Bhagwa” flag. This resulted in arguments following which some miscreants from the rally lobbed stones at the mosque. Some of the stones landed on the fourth floor of the mosque, injuring several people.
Another eyewitness, Abdul, said, “When the miscreants from among the processionists threw stones on the mosque, Muslims retaliated in self-defence. And the same miscreants indulged in arson and burning of vehicles. It was ‘iftar’ (fast-breaking) time. So, why would we Muslims resort to stoning and arson activities?”
Police had to fire 40 to 50 teargas shells to bring the situation under control. And it took about one hour for the police to control the situation. Two bikes were burnt, and eight policemen were injured.
Stone-pelting from the mosque is a baseless allegation: Local Muslims
Local Muslims said that the allegations by a section of the media that stones were pelted from the mosque were baseless and motivated.
They say that anyone can go to the terrace of the mosque and see for himself if stones could be thrown from the mosque. The boundary wall on the terrace is made up of tall lattices, and it is not possible to throw stones through the lattice. Local Muslims allege that it was the miscreants in the rally who threw stones.
No permission for the rally
According to the police, permission was given only for two rallies on April 16. No permission was given for the third rally. Because of this, Delhi police have registered FIR against the rally organizers, who are from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal.
Questions over coverage by mainstream media
Local Muslim residents say that the coverage by a section of the mainstream media was highly biased. Their entire effort was to show that the victims (Muslims) were aggressors while they tried to present the aggressors (Hindu processionists) as victims. With their biased and one-sided coverage of the issue, the media misguided the people all over the country about the Jahangirpuri incident.
Questions raised over the arrest
Out of the 28 arrests made so far, two are reported to be minors. Muslims accuse the police of being biased against the minority community, but the police deny the allegations. Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said that the arrests had been made from “both the communities”. He assured that action would be taken against the accused without discrimination of their caste, creed, or community. He appealed to the people not to trust the “rumour” being spread through social media. Crime Branch has been assigned the investigations about the April 16 incident.
Muslim Women accuse police of misbehaving with them
Many Muslim women in interviews with India Tomorrow said that “police, during night raids, abused them on the pretext of searches and threatened to imprison in jails when they protested the police misbehaviour.” This has created fear among the Muslim residents. But police say they are trying to ensure peace by holding “peace committee” meetings.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind delegation meets the victim’s families
A delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind comprising its national vice-president Prof. Mohammad Salim Engineer, secretary Mohammad Ahmed, and JIH (Delhi unit) president Abdul Wahid met the families of the Jahangirpuri victims at their residences. They tried to know the reality behind the incident from the victims themselves.
The JIH delegation later on, called on Deputy Commissioner of Police(Northwest) Usha Rangnani and briefed her about the problems being faced by the victims. She assured the delegation that no action would be taken against innocent persons.
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