Delhi riots: If there was no permission, why was police guarding the procession?

New Delhi, April 19 The communal clashes during a Shobha Yatra procession in the national capital on April 16 have left a series of difficult conundrums for the public to understand, making people restive to get the right answers.

The police has till now arrested 23 people and apprehended 2 juveniles while one of the arrested person's relatives was bound down for injuring a police Inspector by pelting stones at him.

Delhi Police officials are continuously maintaining that the case is progressing fast and a fair investigation, without any pressure or prejudices, is underway.

Yet, the basic question of what led to the clashes is still open. The facts are there was a religious procession, it was passing through a mosque area and then there was stone pelting, firing, and clashes.

But what were the circumstances that led to the violence? Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana touched upon the issue during the first media briefing on Monday, two days after the communal clashes.

"Your question is what was the reason for provocation. Who started that provocation? This is all part of the investigation. At this juncture I cannot answer this question as the investigation has not been completed," the Commissioner said.

Even though the Delhi Police chief refrained from answering the question, yet, the FIR registered by the police, based on the first hand report of its own Inspector points out that the arrested accused Ansar was the prime person who incited the violence.

According to the FIR lodged at the Jahangirpuri police station, the Shobha Yatra procession was passing off peacefully, but at around 6 p.m., when it reached outside a mosque in C-block, the accused Ansar came with 4-5 associates and started arguing with the participants in the Shobha Yatra. The argument soon turned violent and both the sides started pelting stones at each other.

"I inspector Rajiv Ranjan Singh, tried to pacify the situation and separated the two groups, however, within some time, they again started pelting stones after which I informed the Police Control Room about the development," read the FIR. Soon after this, more police force reached the spot along with senior officials, however, by that time the mob had turned violent. They pelted stones at the police force and also fired shots at them. One such shot hit a Sub Inspector while 7 more policemen were injured.

The warring camps accuse each other of provocation and inciting violence, but what exactly led to the provocation is still not clear.

It was not just one procession that passed through the same locality, rather, it was the third one that ultimately led to bloodshed.

Special CP

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