Delhi Violence: The number of deaths in the violence has risen to 53
The Delhi Police will take action against those involved in last week's northeast Delhi violence by scanning through social media videos, Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar told NDTV on Thursday. Rubbishing allegations of police inaction, he said their personnel rescued thousands of people during the clashes, risking their own lives.
"On February 24 and 25, we received several calls from people who were stranded on roads- we rescued them and shifted them to safe places. Police saved people by putting their own lives at risk. We saved thousands, people are thanking us, police were pressed into the rescue operation for 48-60 hours," he said.
On allegations that the police sided with those who were involved in violence, he said," There were clear direction to the police that the violence had to be brought under control. The police were between two groups...at some places, mobs returned peacefully after the police appealed to them...wherever the anti-social elements didn't heed to our appeal, we used force".
Asked if the police would take action against their personnel who were seen in a video allegedly forcing injured people to sing the national anthem, he said the probe is on.
"We are investigating it, action will be taken against those who violated the law. We are working on it," he added.
The number of deaths in the violence has risen to 53. The violence had begun last Sunday after people for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act clashed. Houses were burnt; people were shot dead and lynched in broad daylight until the situation was brought under control four days later.
The police have said 654 cases related to the violence have been registered, and 1,820 people have been either arrested or detained.