Latest news with #anti-CAA
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
2020 northeast Delhi riots aimed at dividing country, say cops; oppose bail
NEW DELHI: The 2020 riots in northeast Delhi were not spontaneous but a well-planned and well-thought-out conspiracy aimed at creating divisions on religious lines and embarrassing the country globally, the Delhi police told the Delhi high court on Wednesday, arguing against bail to student activists Gulfisha Fatima, Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and United Against Hate (UAH) founder Khalid Saifi. New Delhi: A man walks past the charred remains of vehicles set ablaze by rioters at parking during the anti-CAA protests in February at Shiv Vihar area of Northeast Delhi (PTI) Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who appeared for the Delhi police, urged the bench of justices Navin Chawla and Shailender Kaur to not treat the case as a case of 'mere riots' but as one where the accused had conspired to cause communal divide, and destabilise India's unity, law and order. The bench has reserved its verdict. 'One of the intentions was to globally defame our nation by choosing a particular date for more rioting, arson. It's not a spontaneous riot. This is a case where riots were pre-planned, well-orchestrated, organised with the view to achieve the sinister goal of dividing the country on religious lines. The intention was to cause embarrassment at a global level since the same were committed on a day when the United States of America Donald Trump was to visit the capital,' Mehta submitted. The top law officer said the objective of the riots, in which 100 police personnel and others were injured and one policeman lost his life, was to defame the country Northeast Delhi erupted in violence on February 23, 2020, following clashes between Hindus and Muslims over the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that left 53 dead and hundreds injured. The accused – which include jailed student activist Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid, United Against Hate (UAH) founder Khalid Saifi – were booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). They approached the high court for bail after the trial court rejected their request. They argued that they had spent more than four years in custody and that the trial's slow pace made prolonged incarceration unjustifiable. They also asserted that they are entitled to be released on bail on the grounds of parity with co-accused Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were granted bail by the high court in 2021. At Wednesday's hearing, Mehta insisted that prolonged incarceration could not be a ground for release on bail, in a case where the accused intended to cause violence in the capital and break the country into two parts. 'It's not a riot case where someone can get bail for prolonged incarceration. Prolonged incarceration is held in some cases to be ground enough per se for grant of bail but in the matter of this nature, where the capital bleeds violence and the country breaks into two parts, the same is not applicable. If you're doing something against the nation, you better be in jail until you are acquitted or convicted,' Mehta submitted. He also submitted that the Delhi police had done a good job and recorded statements of almost 58 witnesses before the magistrate.
India Gazette
07-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
2020 Delhi Riots: No evidence that accused Shifa ur-Rehman part of conspiracy
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): The Karkardooma Court on Monday heard arguments on behalf of the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case accused Shifa ur-Rehman. The court heard arguments on the framing of charges in the 2020 Delhi riots case in which ur-Rehman, a former president of the alumni association of the Jamia Millia Islamia, and other activists and student leaders face prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) It is alleged that the 2020 riots were the results of a larger conspiracy allegedly hatched by all the accused persons including Ur-Rehman. As per Delhi police, ur-Rehman was a member of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) and the WhatsApp group of JMI Coordination Committee and JCC JMI. Senior counsel Salman Khurshid on behalf of the accused addressed allegations that ur-Rehman provided financial aid during the anti-CAA protests outside Jamia Millia Islamia. Khurshid submitted that the accused was not a member of any such WhatsApp groups in which any objectionable activity under the law was found and that there is no evidence to show that he gave money to protestors during the anti-CAA protests outside Jamia. After hearing the arguments, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai listed the matter for further hearing on July 11. The court has directed that the written submissions be filed in the case. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad appeared for Delhi Police in the case. Senior advocate Salman Khurshid submitted that accused is an old student of Jamia Millia Islamia. Khurshid on behalf of ur-Rehman argued that even if the accused had given money 'to buy food or rain covers for protesters, these are normal actions during a protest and cannot be equated with conspiracy.' To establish conspiracy requires a meeting of minds, and in this case there is no meeting of minds, Khurshid argued. The senior advocate submitted that no evidence was shown by the investigation agency on whether the accused had given the money or not. He argued that the standard of 'grave suspicion,' not mere suspicion, is essential for framing charges. Eighteen accused persons, including Umar Khalid, Shakeel Imam, Tahir Husain, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and others, are facing allegations of 'larger conspiracy' in the 2020 North East Delhi riots. Delhi Police have filed charge sheet and supplementary charge sheets against accused persons who are booked under UAPA and sections of the IPC for allegedly masterminding the riots that broke out in the national capital. It is alleged that during the riots in February 2020, around 53 people died and hundreds were injured. (ANI)
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Post-CAA stir and pandemic lull, uptick in student clashes at Jamia
New Delhi: After a relatively quiet period following the 2019 anti-CAA protests and the lull caused by the pandemic, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has seen a sharp rise in student clashes, with 42 incidents reported in two years – 2023 and 2024 -- reveals an RTI query. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In comparison, the university saw no clashes in 2020 and 2021. Between Jan 2019 and Dec 2024, a total of 55 student clashes were reported. In 2019, the year that saw the university become a focal point of the nationwide agitation against CAA, six incidents were reported. JMI students held sustained protests, with police entering the campus library on Dec 15, sparking outrage across the country. In the following two years, during Covid and the lockdown, no incidents were recorded. While 2022 saw seven incidents, there were 22 reported clashes in 2023 and 20 in 2024. According to the RTI data, the nature of recent incidents is broadly described as "altercations", mostly taking place on the main campus. In 2023, 10 such clashes occurred between Jan and May. The trend continued in 2024, with 11 incidents reported between Jan and July. While the RTI response does not elaborate on the causes of each incident, the records confirm they were officially registered by university authorities. The rise in clashes has been accompanied by a marked increase in disciplinary measures. The number of students who faced action jumped from 17 in 2019 to 47 in 2022, 105 in 2023, and 74 in 2024 — a total of 243 students over four years. The actions ranged from warnings and show-cause notices to suspensions and campus bans. In 2023, Jamia issued 71 show-cause notices, asked 21 students to sign good conduct bonds and banned three from campus. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In 2024, 56 students were issued show-cause, eight put on good conduct bonds, four suspended, and one was banned from the campus. No disciplinary action was taken in 2020 and 2021, the years in which no clashes were reported. Police were involved twice — in 2019 and 2024 — to "restore order and ensure safety", according to the university. Over the six-year period, five FIRs were registered in connection with the altercations — one in 2019 and four in 2024. The FIRs were filed under sections relating to 'causing hurt', though the university declined to disclose specific provisions, citing Section 8(1)(h) of RTI Act, which exempts details that could impede an investigation. Jamia also stated that details on whether any students were detained or arrested were "not available". Between 2019 and 2024, Jamia collected a total of Rs 27,000 in fines. This includes Rs 7,000 in 2019; Rs 4,000 in 2022; Rs 12,500 in 2023; and Rs 3,500 in 2024. No fines were collected in 2020 or 2021. The university's RTI reply does not specify if the clashes were linked to political groups or factions active on campus. Jamia has not held students' union elections since 2006, though student collectives and informal groupings continue to exist. While the RTI data confirms a clear uptick in student unrest on Jamia's campus post-2022 compared to the pandemic years, the university has largely relied on internal disciplinary mechanisms to address the clashes. With fines remaining symbolic and police action minimal, the data reflects a cautious administrative approach.
The Wire
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
What Happened After an Attack on the Darbhanga Deputy Mayor – and What It Says About India Today
Darbhanga (Bihar): On the evening of May 31, 2025, Darbhanga deputy mayor Nazia Hassan was attacked, allegedly by supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, at the municipal complex of the town. It is not just the lead up to it that is interesting – Hassan had posted on Facebook against ideological extremism – but also what followed, which offers a picture into how violence against Muslims is a pattern in this country. Who is Hassan? Hassan, the vice-president of the Bihar Congress Minority Wing is a single mother of three. Hassan has been a primary school teacher and notably she performs the ritualistic bath given to deceased Muslim women, a service she continued even during COVID-19 and now. A social worker, she was vocal during anti-CAA protests. Her solo campaign for the deputy mayor's position won her over 34,000 votes (more than the mayor Anjum Ara) on a shoestring budget of around 60,000 and without counting agents. She is an active member of the predominantly Maithil Brahmin Mithila Vikas Sangh. The attack and its aftermath According to the first information report filed by Darbhanga Town police, based on Hassan's complaint, a mob of over a hundred, allegedly led by district BJP president Aditya Narayan Manna and district general secretary Balendu Jha, stormed the DMC complex at around 5 pm. Hassan alleged that the leaders verbally abused her. The alleged reason behind the attack was Hassan's Facebook post, which said: "We hate Pakistan as much as we hate the RSS because both have historically supported the two-nation theory." Hassan later presented to reporters messages containing explicit threats and calling her a traitor. Hassan stated that she had informed the administration – from the DM to the DSP to the SHO of the Darbhanga Town Police Station at Qilaghat – about the planned attack in advance. Her personal assistant, Devendra Kumar, who was injured, filed a police complaint as well. "My entire family is in shock at being called something like a 'traitor'," said Nazia Hassan. "We come from a military family—my brother is a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army. I used to watch politics fall to such levels, but now I am experiencing it myself." On June 3, another police complaint was submitted against Hassan by Soni Purbey, a BJP leader and co-accused in the May 31 violence. Purvey accused Hassan of inciting religious hatred, and alleged that she had Pakistani links and illegal foreign funding, demanding authorities check her smartphone. What happened then? Days after the May 31 attack, on June 7, a crowd gathered at the municipal complex, raising slogans against Hassan. The administration had denied permission for this protest in writing, citing Eid as a reason to maintain public order. It defused the gathering and detained some protesters. The Darbhanga Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vikas Kumar also told reporters that no force had been used. He added that several in the group had come with sticks to be lit for a torch rally. However, despite this official denial, reports of the use of force used against the protestors rapidly circulated, prompting senior BJP leaders and Hindutva outfits to visit workers reportedly admitted to DMCH emergency ward for minor injuries. BJP supporters began to frame the police action as "pro-Pakistani" and in support of the Deputy Mayor, while being "against nationalists and Hindus." This narrative gained rapid traction on local social media, with some posts targeting paramilitary and police personnel with abusive language. Institutional Betrayal and Personal Toll The Municipal Commissioner Rakesh Gupta and mayor Anjum Ara reportedly abandoned the premises on May 31, when the attacks were taking place. Hassan's emergency calls to DSP Amit Kumar during the siege reportedly went unanswered. Local police cited jurisdictional issues for not intervening, said Sarfaraz Anwar, district president of the Darbhanga minority cell. While the Municipal Commissioner reportedly filed a written complaint after two days, it is unclear what has come of it. Separate written complaints from the municipal commissioner and her personal assistant Devendra were rejected, with police citing overlap with Hassan's FIR. Eyewitnesses suggest uniformed personnel present during the violence did not act. The complete silence from mayor Ara, whose husband was also notably present at the scene as a bystander, raises further questions. Ara herself faced a brutal online attack and received threats that compelled her to issue an immediate apology on March 12, 2025. Her statement, made during a peace committee meeting ahead of Holi festivities, suggested a two-hour break between 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM on Holi day to allow for Friday prayers, given that the timing of 'Jumma Namaz' cannot be extended. She explicitly stated her intention was to maintain peace and ensure both festivals could be celebrated harmoniously. Her comments were widely amplified and distorted by pro-BJP media. Ara publicly stated, "From early in the morning, the people are calling me Bangladeshi and anti-national… My intention was for peace to be maintained in Darbhanga. But, if anyone's feelings were hurt, I apologize for that." Notably, Hassan had publicly taken Ara's side then. Hassan deleted her post and apologised. She was asked to, allegedly by figures within her own political circle, including Darbhanga District Congress President Dayanand Paswan, who cited it as "the only option to save her life." A Facebook post by a user named 'Gulshan Chaudhary', widely shared, including by Soni Purbey, an individual accused in the May 31 attack, makes several inflammatory claims: "It is being heard that the father of the girl with whom Yasin Bhatkal (founder of Indian Mujahideen) married in Darbhanga is related as the paternal cousin of Mohotarama (i.e., Nazia). It's no mere coincidence that whenever there is a terrorist attack in the country, its links connect to Darbhanga," the post says, originally in Hindi. Another Facebook user, 'Priyanshu Jha', claimed to be an active RSS member. "RSS is culture/values. Nazia, your statement regarding our parent organization shows your mental bankruptcy. My promise to you is that you and people with your mindset will not be able to sit peacefully in the corporation now," he wrote. One Vishal Mahaseth wrote, "She is working like a Pakistani for the same Yasin Bhatkal. I request the district administration that her mobile phone be thoroughly investigated. It's a question of the country/nation." The online discourse escalated. One 'Chaudhary Pankaj Rai' wrote, "That *** who couldn't understand the difference between wife, daughter, niece, maternal aunt, paternal aunt, now even that *** is comparing RSS to Pakistan." Bihar BJP minister revenue and land reforms, Sanjay Saraogi, an MLA from Darbhanga, also publicly threatened Hassan. In a statement made shortly after the May 31 attack, Saraogi declared:"You will have to change your mindset; if you don't, it will be changed for you. ' Dharmshila Gupta, Bihar BJP vice-president and a Rajya Sabha MP, meanwhile, publicly called for an inquiry into Hassan's 'alleged ISI links' and demanded that a case of sedition be registered against her for her Facebook post critiquing the RSS. Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Sinha, in a social media post, also condemned the 'brutal' action of the police and assured the workers of the BJP of just action against the policemen. But what is more interesting is that in that same post he has also attached pictures of a document in which the SDP and DSP while replying to the 'Lok Shikayat Nivaran Pradhikaran' have stated that BJP workers misbehaved with the SDM and other policemen. A climate of fear Following the May 31 attack, the complete silence from the Congress party's district and state units has also been noteworthy. Left parties called for a protest on June 2, which all INDIA alliance partners then joined. On June 6, Congress leadership called Nazia Hassan to speak at the 'Sanvidhan Suraksha Sammelan' in Rajgir, attended by Rahul Gandhi, expressly to show party support. This high-profile endorsement again sparked outrage locally, leading regional BJP and RSS affiliates to come onto the roads again on June 7. The Darbhanga incident is symptomatic of an escalating national trend of demonising minorities, leading to real-world violence. India witnessed an 84% rise in communal violence in 2024, with 59 incidents including seven each in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Beyond the grassroots, a clear pattern of demonisation and political vendetta targets high-ranking individuals serving the nation. A stark example is the reaction to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a decorated Indian Army officer. In a viral video, Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah, a BJP leader, referred to Colonel Qureshi as "the sister of terrorists." This political targeting extends to opposition voices who challenge dominant right-wing narratives and even to public figures attempting to foster communal harmony. On March 26, 2025, the residence of Samajwadi Party (SP) Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman, a prominent Dalit leader, was attacked and vandalised in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, by members of the Karni Sena along with other right-wing groups. This brazen assault followed Suman's statement in the Rajya Sabha on March 21, 2025: "Indian Muslims do not consider Babar as their idol. They follow Prophet Muhammad and the Sufi tradition. But I want to ask, who brought Babar here? It was Rana Sanga who invited Babar to defeat Ibrahim Lodi. So, if Muslims are called the descendants of Babar, then Hindus must be the descendants of traitor Rana Sanga. We criticise Babar, but why don't we criticise Rana Sanga?" The attack on Hassan is an Indian issue, striking at our constitutional morality and the rule of law. The real anarchy is not solely the mob, but the alleged ideological capture of institutions and normalisation of violence.
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi riots trial set to get back on track
The protracted trial in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case is expected to regain momentum after the Delhi high court on Wednesday notified the transfer of additional sessions judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai back to the Karkardooma court, where the case is being heard. ASJ Bajpai, who presided over the matter for over a year, was transferred out last month in a sweeping reshuffle of over 130 judges across Delhi's district courts. His replacement, ASJ Lalit Kumar, had only recently taken charge at Karkardooma. But with Wednesday's order, Kumar has now been posted to the Saket court as a fast-track court judge, with Bajpai returning to Karkardooma. In a report on June 3, HT highlighted that the reshuffle caused concern among prosecutors and defence lawyers, who warned that the trial, already delayed for years, may further be derailed. With a new judge in place, the entire process of presenting the Delhi Police's voluminous 17,000-page charge sheet and arguments on framing of charges would have had to restart, potentially pushing back the proceedings by several months. ASJ Bajpai had taken over the case in December 2023, succeeding ASJ Amitabh Rawat, and had heard arguments on charges against five of the 18 accused, including former municipal councillor Tahir Hussain, and activists Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, Tasleem Ahmed and Safoora Zargar. With Bajpai's return, defence lawyers confirmed that the five accused will not have to present their arguments again. 'This effectively saves at least five months,' said a defence lawyer, requesting anonymity. 'In his last hearing before being transferred, Bajpai had fixed the date for the sixth accused, Shifa-ur-Rehman's arguments. That schedule can now continue,' the lawyer added. A second defence lawyer said: 'We hope the charge arguments can now be wrapped up quickly and the trial can finally begin, especially since delays in providing documents have already caused significant setbacks.' In the last hearing, ASJ Kumar had asked both the prosecution and the defence to propose a tentative timeline for completing arguments on charges, expressing concern about the prolonged pendency of the case. Of the 18 accused in the larger conspiracy case, six, including Pinjra Tod members Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, are currently out on bail. The rest remain in judicial custody. Bail petitions filed by key accused Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are still pending before the Delhi high court. The conspiracy case is among the most significant stemming from the February 2020 communal riots in northeast Delhi, which claimed 53 lives and injured hundreds. Prosecutors allege that the violence was the result of a premeditated conspiracy orchestrated by anti-CAA protest leaders—an allegation the accused and their lawyers strongly deny, calling it a bid to criminalise dissent. Background and delays To be sure, despite nearly five years having elapsed since the Delhi Police filed the main charge sheet in September 2020, the trial is yet to commence since penal charges have not been formally framed in the matter. The accused have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly orchestrating a 'larger conspiracy' behind the anti-CAA protests, which the police claim triggered the riots. In October 2023, the trial court directed that the arguments on charges be conducted on a day-to-day basis in an attempt to speed up the proceedings. While the prosecution has often blamed the defence for the delay, citing multiple applications under Section 207 CrPC (for the supply of documents), the defence maintains that prolonged pretrial detention and procedural lapses by the state are to blame. In April 2023, the prosecution handed over key case documents nearly a year after applications were filed, further stalling the trial. Meanwhile, the Delhi high court, in a September 2023 order, allowed the trial court to continue hearing arguments but restrained it from issuing final orders on charge. That restriction was imposed after student activist Devangana Kalita sought full access to case records. The matter is next scheduled to be heard on September 15.
