Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleges multiple firing incidents 'plotted by government'

After the multiple firing incidents near the protest areas, twice near Jamia and once in Shaheen Bagh, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has alleged that the shooting incidents have been planned by the center which is why they have maintained silence on the matter. "This (firing incidents) is an order by the government to scare and threaten the people who are peacefully protesting. It is systematic planning by the ruling government, it has maintained silence on the matter. Delhi comes under the Home Ministry still it is not taking any action. It is evident that the police and the center together is involved in this", said Chowdhury.

READ | Alleged Firing At Jamia: Delhi Police Registers FIR, Sections Of IPC & Arms Act Invoked

Politics over the CAA protests

The Congress leader's attack on the centre comes after multiple incidents of shooting near the protest sites, once in Jamia Nagar where a protestor got injured but now in stable condition, and twice outside Shaheen Bagh with rounds of aerial fire. The men firing rounds had raised pro-Hindu slogans against the anti-CAA protests giving fodder to opposition parties. Parties such as Congress, AAP and AIMIM have slammed the centre and the police for the situation of violence.

A series of intensified anti-CAA protests in the poll-bound national capital followed by the shooting incidents doubled with political parties attacking each other has made the atmosphere vicious and intense. The Shaheen Bagh protest blocking an important road for over one and a half month in Delhi continues to cause massive inconvenience and delay to civilians in transit, emergency services such as ambulance and fire brigade.

READ | Delhi Court Sends Man Arrested For Firing At Shaheen Bagh To 2-day Police Custody

What are the protests for? 

The CAA law grants citizenship to persecuted minorities such as Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi refugees who have escaped persecution from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and have taken refuge in India since or before December 31 2014. With no mention of Muslims in the CAA law, a section of the Muslim community seemingly feels threatened alleging that government plans to systematically detain or oust the Indian Muslims despite the government's repeated assurance that no Indian citizen will be ousted as the law is about giving citizenship to persecuted minorities and not about snatching away citizenship.

READ | Jamia Bans Protest, Mass Gathering, Speeches In Campus As Tensions Remain Elevated  

Protestors have raised questions on the exclusion of the Muslim refugees in the law. Center in its defence has said that Muslims are in majority in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and are not persecuted in these countries as against the plight of the minorities which is much worse.

The Centre reportedly stated that leaders during the times of independence and partition such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru had promised the minorities that India would accept them if they wish to come back since they were the victims of partition whereas a section of Muslim community willingly chose to make a separate Muslim dominated nation which is today's Pakistan hence the Muslims need not come back to India as it was their decision to go to Pakistan. The centre reiterated that the CAA law is a fulfilment of the long-awaited promise made by Mahatma Gandhi and several such leaders of those times.

READ | Bajrang Dal Says Jamia Shooter Not Its Member, Condemns Violence