Published 23:00 IST, February 24th 2020
Harsh Vardhan condemns Delhi violence, prays for 'peace' for martyred constable
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan condemned the violence that broke out in Delhi during Anti-CAA protests and mourned the death of the head constable in the incident
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Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan condemned the violence that broke out in Delhi during Anti-CAA demonstrations on Monday and mourned the death of the head constable who lost his life during the protests.
The protesters in northeast Delhi resorted to violence and began torching houses and vehicles. A head constable and civilian were killed in the incident, while a DCP was severely injured.
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Harsh Vardhan said that the death of the policeman is heartbreaking and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured officer.
"Protest is an important part of democracy but violent protest is condemnable. The news of the martyrdom of a policeman and the injuries suffered by the DCP in this violence is heartbreaking.
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I pray for the peace of the martyred soldier's soul and support to his family members and speedy recovery of the injured police officer," the Union Minister said in a tweet in Hindi.
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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.
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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.
MHA states 'situation under control'
Amid the rampant violence witnessed in New Delhi, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Monday has stated that senior officers of the Delhi police are in the field. Assuring that sufficient forces have been deployed, he added that the situation was under control. Meanwhile, MHA sources alleged that the violence was orchestrated most likely with an eye on US President Trump's visit to India.
23:00 IST, February 24th 2020