Delhi news: Security personnel stand guard in North East Delhi  |  Photo Credit: PTI
12:10 pm: Top cop visits Seelampur – Senior IPS officer SN Srivastava, who recently took charge as the Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, arrived in Seelampur to take stock of the situation. Assuring safety, Srivastava vowed to take strict action against those behind the violence. “Situation is under control. No untoward incident happened today. I am assessing the situation,” Srivastava said.
11:55 am: Ratan Lal given martyr status – Head constable Ratan Lal, who died during clashes in North East Delhi on Monday, has been accorded a martyr status. The Centre has reportedly given Rs 1 crore compensation to the kin of the slain cop.
11:35 am: ‘Delhi violence like a horror film depicting anti-Sikh riots’ – The Shiv Sena on Wednesday held violence in Delhi akin to a “horror film” depicting the harsh reality of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ mentioned that US President Donald Trump was welcomed in Delhi while there was “bloodbath” on the streets in the national capital. “Violence has erupted in Delhi. People are on the streets equipped with canes, swords, revolvers, blood is being spilt on the roads. Some horror film-like situation is being witnessed in Delhi, which depicts the grim reality of the 1984 riots,” the editorial said.
11:25 am: Congress leaders to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan – Congress leaders will reportedly hold a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan to seek peace in violence-hit North East Delhi district. Congress’ interim chief Sonia Gandhi will lead the march. Notably, at a CWC meet earlier today, Congress leaders had observed a two-minute silence as they remembered all the people who got killed in the violent clashes in Delhi since February 23.
11:19 am: Death toll stands at 20 – According to Sunil Kumar Gautam, Medical Superintendent, Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, “out of all the people that were brought to the hospital, 189 are injured and 20 are dead.”
11:10 am: Delhi HC directs Police to respond by 12:30 pm on plea – The Delhi High Court has asked police to respond by 12:30 pm on a petition seeking registering of FIRs and arrests of those involved in the violence over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Talwant Singh noted that police should take suo motu action as “this is very important”.
10:52 am: ‘Army should be called in’ – Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday described the situation in North East Delhi as “alarming”. He added that he is writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking Army deployment and imposition of curfew. “I have been in touch wid large no of people whole nite. Situation alarming. Police, despite all its efforts, unable to control situation and instil confidence
Army shud be called in and curfew imposed in rest of affected areas immediately.”
10:30 am: CWC meets to discuss Delhi violence – Amid continued violence in North East Delhi areas, the Congress Working Committee met today to discuss the matter. Congress’ interim chief Sonia Gandhi and top leaders like Manmohan Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, P Chidambaram, AK Antony, Priyanka Gandhi attended the meeting. However, Congress’ leader Rahul Gandhi was not present at the meeting as he is not in the country.
10:25 am: Liquor shops closed in Noida today – As per an order issued by the District Administration of Gautam Budh Nagar, all wine and liquor shops, located within three kilometres distance from the national capital, will remain shut today. In the wake of Delhi violence, Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate BN Singh said, “In view of the violence in Delhi, all liquor shops will remain closed in sector 20, sector 24 and sector 39 of Gautam Budh Nagar on Wednesday.”
The order also said, “All wine shops, model shops, country-made liquor shops, wholesale licensed liquor shops and cannabis shops with three kilometres distance from the Delhi border to remain closed on Wednesday.”
10:18 am: Chidambaram slams Delhi Police – Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the unabated violence in the national capital implied “the colossal failure of the Delhi Police”. In a series of tweets, Chidamabaram said: “Two High Court judges had to hold a midnight hearing last night to ensure the safe evacuation of injured persons to a proper hospital. What does it say about the performance of Delhi Police?”
“The violence has continued since Monday and even now there are incidents of violence. It shows the colossal failure of the Delhi Police.
Whether the violence in East Delhi was instigated (MOS-Home) or spontaneous (MHA), the government has a duty to end the violence.”
10:10 am: Ajit Doval given charge of bringing Delhi violence under control – National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval has been given the charge of bringing violence in North East Delhi under control, sources said on Wednesday. Doval will today brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet about the situation. The NSA had visited Jaffrabad, Seelampur and other parts of North East Delhi last night and held talks with leaders of different communities.
News agency ANI has mentioned government sources as saying that the NSA has asserted that lawlessness would not be permitted in the national capital. The Delhi Police have been given a free hand to restore the situation.
10:03 pm: Vandals set shop on fire in Gokulpuri – The protests in Delhi show no signs of abating as vandals have set a shop ablaze in Gokulpuri. A mob had on Monday night set a tyre market on fire in Gokulpuri area.
9:55 am: ‘BJP’s BL Santhosh questions AAP leaders’ subdued reaction’ – BJP national general secretary BL Santosh has hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party over its “subdued reaction” to violence in North East Delhi. “What is the reason for Delhi Govt & AAPs subdued reactions to #PlannedDelhiRiots? No relief to Cops killed or citizens murdered. Is it because of one-way polling in selected booths & AAPs total victory in minority-dominated constituencies ..? Nation will never forgive them,” tweeted Santhosh.
9:45 am: Death toll rises to 18 – According to Sunil Kumar Gautam MD, Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, the death toll has risen to 18.
9:33 am: ‘Jaffrabad turning into another Godhra’ – Former Congress MP Priya Dutt said the life of every Indian will be at stake if the politics of hate and violence does not stop. “Jaffrabad turning into another Godhra, right under the noses of the police. If this politics of hate and violence does not stop then the narrative goes beyond Hindus and muslims it will be the life of every indian at stake. Our silence and fears sometimes fuel this fire of hate,” tweeted Dutt.
9:22 am: CBSE exams in northeast Delhi postponed – In the wake of violent clashes between pro- and anti-CAA protesters, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has postponed the board exams for Class 10 and 12 scheduled for today, i.e., February 26 in North East Delhi. “Based on the request of the Directorate of Education and the government of Delhi and to avoid inconvenience to the students, staff and parents, the board has decided to postpone the exams scheduled for February 26, 2020 in northeast Delhi,” the CBSE said in a statement.
9:11 am: Surjewala on Delhi violence – Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday took to Twitter to express his concern over violence in North East Delhi.
8:55 am: Amit Shah inquires about injured Shahdara DCP’s health – Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reportedly spoken with the family of the injured Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Shahdara, Amit Sharma, and inquired about his health. Amit Sharma is one of the 56 policemen who got injuries in the violence.
8:40 am: Death toll rises to 17 – The death toll in North East Delhi violence over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act mounted to 17 on Wednesday, as per Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital authorities. The death toll was 13 yesterday.
8:30 am: Congress leader tweets about BJP’s ‘trump card’ – In the wake of tensions in North East Delhi, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi today tweeted that “violence, hatred, and rioting are the trump cards of the BJP”.
8:10 am: “Only those chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ would stay in India’ – Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Tuesday said that it is now time to sternly deal with people bearing cynical thoughts about India. He added that only those people would stay in the country who chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.
7:50 am: Kapil Mishra seeks compensation for Ratan Lal’s family – BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who faced flak for his speech during a gathering in favour of CAA at Maujpur Chowk in North East Delhi, on Wednesday demanded Rs 1 crore compensation for the kin of slain Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal. Targeting Arvind Kejriwal, Mishra asked why the Delhi chief minister is delaying the decision.
7:30 am: Delhi HC holds midnight hearing – The Delhi High Court, in an unprecedented midnight hearing, asked police to ensure the safe passage of the injured stuck in Mustabafad’s Al Hind hospital. The HC was moved late Tuesday night by Concern Citizen For Peace, seeking police protection for ambulances rushing towards medical facilities carrying people, who received injuries in violence in North East Delhi’s Mustafabad area. The hearing was held at the residence of Delhi HC judge Justice S Muralidhar at 12:30 am.
7:10 am: USCIRF tweets about Delhi violence – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission. Here’s the tweet:
6:50 am: Entry and exit gates at all stations now open – The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Wednesday morning tweeted that entry and exit gates at all the stations have been opened. Normal services have resumed at all stations. Five Metro stations in the North East district — Maujpur-Babarpur, Gokulpuri, Jaffrabad, Johri Enclave and Shiv Vihar – were shut down on Monday and Tuesday in view of the violence.
6:40 am: Flash protests in Hyderabad – Flash protests took place at a few places in Hyderabad on Tuesday night against the violence in Delhi. Candle-light protests were reported from Seven Tombs Road, King Koti, Toli Chowki, and Yakutpura. Holding anti-CAA, NRC, NPR placards, protesters chanted slogans against the Delhi Police.
6:30 am: Water cannons used on protesters outside Delhi CM’s residence – The Delhi Police on Wednesday used water cannons to disperse students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia, who were protesting outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The students wanted to meet Kejriwal and hand him over a charter of demands as regards violence in northeast Delhi. The students claimed that they were detained by the Delhi Police and taken to Civil Lines police station.
The students had assembled near the chief minister’s residence at about 12 midnight. However, the Delhi Police used water cannons around 3:30 am.