India News | VHP Meets Police Commissioner, Demands Strict Action Against Those Involved in Jahangirpuri Violence

New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) A delegation of the Vishva Hindu Parishad on Sunday met Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana and submitted a memorandum demanding strict action against those involved in the violence during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in Jahangirpuri.

It also said that there should be an investigation against those officials who allegedly instead of restraining the culprits tried stopping the procession.

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Twenty people have been arrested in connection with the stone-pelting and arson in which some vehicles were also torched during the clashes between two communities on Saturday evening in the northwest Delhi area.

The delegation of the Delhi chapter of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), led by its president Kapil Khanna, urged Asthana to also take action against those officials who despite being notified earlier about the procession did not ensure adequate security.

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The VHP in its memorandum has alleged that if the Delhi Police is not capable of providing adequate security, then Bajrang Dal members will have to make their own security arrangements.

It also stressed on "an investigation against those officials who instead of stopping (culprits) continued to stop the procession", according to the memorandum.

The VHP claimed that it had informed the Jahangirpuri and the Mahendra Park police stations about it organising the 'yatra' (procession) on Hanuman Jayanti.

Information about the procession was given to the police stations on April 15, according to the memorandum

On Saturday, the 'yatra' reached the EE block in Jahangirpuri through the BJRM Marg without any "noise", the VHP said.

It claimed that "Ram Bhakts" and Bajrang Dal members were moving along with the procession peacefully but when it reached in front of a mosque in C block, they (the other community) started raising "vulgar slogans" from inside the mosque and started issuing threats.

The VHP alleged that after sometime, people from surrounding areas started gathering with sticks and batons. They started attacking and subsequently, stones were hurled which led to the violence, it claimed.

Some VHP members were also attacked by the other community, according to the memorandum.

When other workers of the VHP tried to rescue them, they also were attacked and some of their vehicles were torched, it stated, and alleged that some shops owned by Hindus were looted.

Police said besides the arrests, two juveniles have also been apprehended in connection with the violence.

Among those arrested are a 21-year-old man who allegedly fired a bullet that hit a sub-inspector and a 35-year-old man who is alleged to be one of the main "conspirator" of the violence, police said.

Three firearms and five swords have been seized from the accused, they said.

According to police, as on Sunday morning, there is heavy police deployment in the Jahangirpuri area where the clashes took place.

A team of the Rapid Action Force has also been deployed to keep a tight vigil on the situation which is now under control.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)