Muslim-dominated protesters against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have now attacked Bhajanpura after Maujpur in Delhi. The protesters set a petrol pump, two houses and vehicles parked along the roads on fire. Earlier in the day, Ratan Lal, a head constable of Delhi Police, was killed when a mob in Maujpur opened fire at the police. The head constable was posted in the Gokulpuri police station.
Shahdara DCP Amit Sharma is now reported injured while trying to lead a police force to control the rioters.
In what appears like an orchestrated move, trouble had begun in the Muslim-dominated neighbourhoods of north-eastern Delhi soon after it was known that the Shaheen Bagh blockade was partially and temporarily lifted.
An aggressive mob set the petrol pump of Bhajanpura on fire. The Muslims of the area attacked policemen with petrol bombs set many houses on fire. They burnt at least 10 vehicles in Jafrabad.
When the situation in Maujpur went out of control, the paramilitary forces were called following stone-pelting by protesters and retaliation by supporters of the law near the Maujpur Metro station.
This is the second consecutive day of rioting in Delhi over the CAA in the Muslim-dominated Kabir Nagar area near the Maujpur Metro station. Now supporters of the law and other citizens are no longer accepting the blockade the opponents of the CAA wish to extend to the whole city after Shaheen Bagh.
In Jafrabad and Maujpur areas of north-east Delhi, protesters set fire to at least two houses, adding to the tension. In these areas, there were clashes between pro and anti-CAA groups for the second consecutive day on Monday. The protesters threw stones at each other. Police released tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. The police also tried to calm the groups.
According to officials, the protesters also damaged a fire engine while extinguishing the fire in the area. Delhi Metro closed the entry and exit gates at Jafrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur stations amid tension in the area. The entry and exit gates of Jafrabad Metro Station have been closed for the last 24 hours.
A large number of people protesting against the amended citizenship law had blocked the road on Sunday, following which clashes between supporters and opponents of the CAA began in Zafarabad. Similar protests have started in many other areas of Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted on Monday morning that the exit and entry gates of Jafrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur Metro stations were closed. The Metro will not stop at these stations. DMRC has not given any information about the opening of the gate so far.
Police fired tear gas shells at the miscreants. In Maujpur, adjacent to Jafrabad, two groups pelted stones at each other, after which the police released tear gas. There has been tension in the area since hundreds of anti-CAA protesters near Jafrabad Metro station blocked the road connecting Seelampur, Maujpur and Yamuna Vihar.
Police have now imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC, which bans the assembly of four or more people, in Bhajanpura and other parts of northeast Delhi. Delhi Police has appealed to the people to maintain peace and not to believe in rumours.
