Delhi violence: Amanatullah Khan questions Amit Shah's silence, urges Centre to hold talks

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Amanatullah Khan on Monday visited Jaffrabad in Northeast Delhi, where the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest has been going on since Saturday night and urged the Centre to hold talks with the protesters. Earlier on February 24, five persons including four civilians and one head constable of Delhi Police lost their lives after clashes between pro-CAA and anti-CAA protestors took a violent turn at various places in North-East District of Delhi.

Speaking to the media Khan said, "Why are Amit Shah and people of BJP not talking to these people? It is the Centre's matter and not ours. Amit Shah can ask for votes in the name of Shaheen Bagh so why doesn't he talk to these people? Aren't these people Indians? The government has made people sit here. People want to talk but the government is not ready to listen to them."

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The AAP MLA said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should hold a high-level meeting regarding the ongoing protests. 

"The protest is being carried out peacefully over here but a few people from BJP pelted stones and created a ruckus. I want Home Minister Amit Shah to hold a high-level meeting regarding this issue and set up an inquiry as well. People who tried to take law in their hands and those responsible behind these incidents should be punished" said Khan. 

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Violence in northeast Delhi

In a massive escalation of tension in the northeast Delhi on Monday, protesters resorted to violence, torching at least two houses and a fire tender in the Jaffrabad and Maujpur areas. Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal has lost his life and one DCP has been injured during clashes in Gokulpuri. A total of five people (4 civilians & 1 police head constable) lost their lives and 105 got injured in the clashes.

According to officials, a fire tender was damaged by the protesters after it responded to a fire call in the area on Monday. Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro closed entry and exit at the Jaffrabad and Maujpur-Babarpur stations.  Clashes erupted between pro and anti-CAA groups on Sunday evening and both the groups hurled stones at each other allegedly in presence of Delhi Police. The Police fired tear gas shells and also resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protesters.

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On Saturday night, around 500 people gathered near northeast Delhi's Jaffrabad metro station against the amended citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The crowd consisting of mostly women chanted "Aazadi slogans" and said they would not move till the government revokes CAA. 

As per reports, the women have blocked road No. 66 which connects Seelampur to Maujpur and Yamuna Vihar. Police are trying to speak to the protestors, reported PTI. The sudden protest outside Jaffrabad metro station began as the Supreme Court-appointed interlocutors are in talks with the Shaheen Bagh protestors.

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(with agencies input)