Nobody should be allowed to orchestrate flagrations, Arvind Kejriwal said (File)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called the violence between people for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as "distressing news", and said Union Home Minister Amit Shah must restore law and order and ensure peace in the national capital.
"Very distressing news regarding disturbance of peace and harmony in parts of Delhi coming in. I sincerely urge Hon'ble LG n Hon'ble Union Home Minister to restore law and order and ensure that peace and harmony is maintained. Nobody should be allowed to orchestrate flagrations," he tweeted.
Violent clashes broke out in the Bhajanpura and Maujpur neighbourhoods of northeast Delhi this morning, for a second time in less than 24 hours, as protesters for and against the controversial citizenship law clashed and threw stones at each other.
In disturbing videos of the violence at least one vehicle - an auto rickshaw - has been set ablaze. In another video a man dressed in a red shirt can be seen running towards an unarmed Delhi Police officer waving what appears to be a gun.
Other videos of the clashes - which began in the Kabir Nagar area near the Maujpur Metro Station - show people from both groups breaking off stones and chunks of the concrete divider along the main road to throw at each other.
Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal has tweeted that senior police officials have been asked to ensure law and order.
"Instructed @DelhiPolice and @CPDelhi to ensure that law and order is maintained in North East Delhi. The situation is being closely monitored. I urge everyone to exercise restraint for maintenance of peace and harmony," he said.
Today's violence comes after stone throwing on Sunday afternoon near the Jaffrabad area, where over 1,000 women have gathered since Saturday night in a peaceful protest against against the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA.
After becoming the Chief Minister, Mr Kejriwal had called on the Home Minister, the in-charge for the national capital's law and order. The AAP chief had described the meeting as "fruitful".