Barricades at two points, ropes and a slew of officers were deployed to keep both communities under check as various groups gathered outside a temple that was allegedly vandalised the night of the argument.
As per sources, Home Minister Amit Shah is upset that the Delhi Police went slow in the case. Home Minister Shah met Patnaik in the Parliament and questioned him over the delay in action in the incident, say sources.
Four people have been arrested so far, Patnaik informed Shah, assuring him that the situation in Hauz Quazi area is now normal. “I have briefed him about the situation here. Things are now normal in the Hauz Qazi area. Four people have been arrested,” news agency ANI quoted Patnaik as saying after his meeting with the Home minister.
An argument over a parking spot spiralled into a communal flare-up in Hauz Quazi area of Chandni Chowk Sunday night. Barricades at two points, ropes and a slew of officers were deployed later to keep both communities under check as various groups gathered outside a temple that was allegedly vandalised the night of the argument.
At least 800 Delhi Police and CRPF personnel were spread across the 800-metre stretch Tuesday. Chandni Chowk MP Harsh Vardhan visited the area and appealed for peace. Other leaders from BJP and AAP also appealed for peace.
Police said a PCR call was received around 11.30 pm about two groups fighting, and people from both sides were taken to Hauz Qazi police station. In the meantime, a false rumour spread that a man had been beaten to death. “Around 350 people gathered outside the police station and some went outside Gupta’s home, where a temple is situated. It is alleged that some unidentified men vandalised the temple,” an officer said.
For two days in a row, shops remained shut in Hauz Qazi’s Lal Kuan area where the temple is located.
On Wednesday, MLA Vijender Gupta, the leader of Opposition in Delhi, said, “This is an unfortunate incident, the communal harmony should continue. The question is why aren’t the accused have been arrested till now. Secondly, the political parties, be it Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP or Congress or Mamata Banerjee, make a mountain of a molehill, spread lies, provoke people over small matters, mislead them to disrupt communal harmony. But today, since it is a matter of a Temple, will no one speak about it? Will no one talk about the arrests? But with regards to the Sugrical Strike, they will side with Pakistan? What kind of government is this? If something is wrong, it is a wrong everywhere.
