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Regular-article-logo Friday, 19 April 2024

Peace march cry 'against jihadi terrorism': ‘Shoot traitors’

The slogan — targeted at the anti-citizenship-act protesters — had featured during the BJP’s campaign for the February 8 Delhi elections

PTI New Delhi Published 29.02.20, 10:02 PM
Kapil Mishra participates in the march at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.

Kapil Mishra participates in the march at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. Picture by Prem Singh

BJP politician Kapil Mishra, accused of making provocative statements before communal violence broke out in northeast Delhi, and the families of some of the victims participated in a “march against jihadi terrorism” on Saturday during which some people chanted “shoot the traitors”.

Mishra did not join the sloganeering or address the gathering during the “peace march”, organised by the NGO Delhi Peace Forum from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street police station.

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The “shoot the traitors” chants were heard as the march passed through Connaught Place. The slogan — targeted at the anti-citizenship-act protesters — had featured during the BJP’s campaign for the February 8 Delhi elections, with Union minister Anurag Thakur leading a crowd in chanting it.

Mishra, among BJP campaigners whose speeches had earned the Election Commission’s wrath, is accused of making inflammatory comments last weekend against the citizenship protesters shortly before the rioting broke out. Mishra says he had merely demanded that the roads be cleared of the protesters.

At Jantar Mantar on Saturday, chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata ki jai” were heard as hundreds gathered holding the Tricolour. Some of the injured victims and relatives of those killed in the violence narrated their ordeal.

The organisers paid tributes to head constable Ratan Lal and Intelligence Bureau employee Ankit Sharma, who were among the 42 people killed during the violence.

Mishra, who had earlier posted a tweet asking people to join the Jantar Mantar protest, later posted videos of the march.

“No matter how much falsehood you spread, the people know the truth,” he said.

Suresh Kumar, a speaker, said his brother Dinesh Kumar Khatik was shot when he stepped out on Tuesday to see whether shops had opened

Alok Tiwari was shot in the head while returning home on Tuesday from the factory where he worked, his brother-in-law Sumit said.

Some of the speakers alleged that the “well-planned” violence was meant to “target the Hindus”.

Chants of “shoot the traitors” were also heard inside a Delhi Metro train and at Rajiv Chowk Metro station. Six people have been detained.

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