Amit Shah failed to protect Delhi from communal riots, says Sharad Pawar
Hindus and Muslims had clashed during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area on April 16.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that Home Minister Amit Shah has failed to protect Delhi from communal riots, PTI reported.
Pawar’s remarks come a week after Hindus and Muslims had clashed during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in North West Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on April 16. Eight policemen and a civilian were injured in the violence. At least 24 suspects have been arrested in connection to the matter so far.
“Few days back, Delhi was burning due to communal tensions,” Pawar said, according to PTI. “The state of Delhi is controlled by Arvind Kejriwal [chief minister], but its police comes under the Union Home Ministry handled by Amit Shah. Shah failed to protect the city from communal riots.”
Pawar made the remarks while speaking at a rally of the Nationalist Congress Party at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.
He also said that whenever any incident occurs in Delhi, its message goes out to the world.
“The world would imagine that there is unrest in India,” Pawar said. “You [Shah] have power, but you can not handle Delhi.”
पण त्यांनी ही काळजी घेतली नाही. दिल्लीत एखादी घटना घडली तरी त्याचा संदेश जागतिक स्तरावर जातो. आणि या देशात अस्थिरता आहे अशी भावना निर्माण होते. तुमच्या हातात सत्ता आहे. आणि तुम्हाला दिल्ली सांभाळता येत नाही? pic.twitter.com/9jQmVfMLzz
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) April 23, 2022
Pawar also targeted the Union government over British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to Gujarat.
“I am glad that an international leader is visiting Gujarat,” Pawar said. “But whether it is then US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping or the latest visit of the UK Prime Minister [Boris Johnson], all were taken to Gujarat and not to any other states.”
“It shows what the rulers in Delhi think about other states,” he added.
The Nationalist Congress Party chief also said that the government has been using Enforcement Directorate to intimidate the members of the Opposition.
“A few years ago, no one knew ED’s name,” he said. “But today, ED, CBI, IT [Income Tax Department] are being misused to discredit the Opposition.”
Nationalist Congress Party’s voice will not be supressed by central machinary, Pawar said.
“All democratic forces in the country need to think,” he said. “Yet some organizations and parties guard different ideologies. They should deliberate again.”