Rahul Gandhi along with other Congress leaders on Wednesday visited a school gutted in communal clashes and interacted with affected people in northeast Delhi where police continued to maintain a tight vigil to restore confidence among residents.
The police have been conducting flag march and holding meetings with the locals in Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar, Bhajanpura, Yamuna Vihar and Mustafabad where the violence, that started during the protests over the amended Citizenship Act, was the most intense.
The police said they have registered 531 cases, and 1,647 people have either been detained or arrested.
Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in Parliament.
"Everything is under control and we are on top of the situation," he told PTI after the hour-long meeting.
Hundreds of traumatised people were still staying in relief camps and elsewhere after escaping the violence which erupted on February 23 and continued for the next three days.
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Khajuri resident Abdul Wahab, who has taken refuge in Chandu Nagar, said his house was destroyed by rioters and now he is left with no money now. His biggest worry, he said, is how to take care of children now.
Shabnam, who also lost her house as well her employment, faces the same problem.
"I lost my house in the riots. The scrap shop I worked in was also destroyed. Now I don't know how to sustain," she said.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) stepped in to help its former jawan Aish Mohammed with a cheque of Rs 11 lakh as his house was damaged in the clashes.
While handing over the cheque, CRPF Director General A P Maheswari hugged an emotional Aish and said "this is your family".
The house of Aish, who served the world's largest para-military force for 22 years before retiring as a head constable, was at Baghirathi Vihar in northeast Delhi.
"The CRPF stands committed for the welfare of its personnel and their families. This act is a gesture to say that all serving and retired personnel of the force are our family," CRPF spokesperson DIG Moses Dhinakaran said.
Meanwhile, over 97 per cent attendance was recorded in the class 10 board exam held in the violence-affected areas, according to officials of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The class 10 students appeared for Science exam.
The Delhi government also organised a special Parents Teachers Meeting (PTM) in the riot-hit areas to counsel parents and students and instill confidence and faith in them. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited three affected schools in Jaffrabad, Gokalpuri and Yamuna Vihar, and interacted with parents.
Rahul Gandhi, who led a delegation of his party leaders, said politics of division harms 'Bharat Mata' and India's reputation in the world has taken a hit due to the violence.
He wanted to visit other riot-affected areas as well, but Delhi Police advised him not to go beyond the Brijpuri Nullah.
When Gandhi got inside the vehicle to return, a woman among the crowd started shouting and blamed the Congress for the violence.
The delegation led by Gandhi included K C Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, K Suresh, Mukul Wasnik, Kumari Selja, Gaurav Gogoi and Randeep Surjewala.
They visited a private school in the Brijpuri area that was vandalised and burnt during the riots.
Arun Modern Public Senior Secondary School, which is over 32 years old, suffered massive damage and the Congress delegation went around the gutted classrooms and surveyed the burnt buses.
Speaking to reporters, Gandhi said, "This (school) is India's future. Hate and violence has burnt it down. Nobody has benefited from this. Violence and hate are enemies of development."
"India is being divided, burnt. This will not benefit the people and Bharat Mata," he said.
Opposition parties including the Congress have been demanding an immediate discussion on Delhi violence in Parliament. But Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday that it can be taken up on March 11 in the Lower House and on March 12 in Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court advanced to March 6 the hearing in the High Court on a PIL seeking lodging of FIRs against some BJP leaders for alleged hate speeches, observing a long adjournment in such matters is "not justified".
The Delhi High Court had on February 27 adjourned till April 13 hearing the PIL filed by activists Harsh Mander and Farah Naqvi for FIRs against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma for their alleged hate speeches in connection with protests over the amended Citizenship law.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that he would not celebrate Holi in wake of communal violence in northeast Delhi. Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and BJP MLAs will also not attend Holi event to avoid any large gathering in view of coronavirus fears.
Responding to a question at a press conference here, Kejriwal, who is also the Aam Aadmi Party national convener, said that he and his party MLAs would not celebrate Holi due to the riots.
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