Published 18:09 IST, December 30th 2020
Out on bail, Shaheen Bagh shooter Kapil Gujjar joins BJP to 'work for Hindutva'
In a shocking development on Wednesday, Kapil Gujjar who fired three shots in the air near Shaheen Bagh on February 1 joined BJP at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
In a shocking development on Wednesday, Kapil Gujjar who fired three shots in the air near Shaheen Bagh on February 1 joined BJP at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking on the occasion, he attributed this decision to his desire to work for Hindutva. Pointing out that BJP is not only strengthening Hindutva but also wants to further this cause, he made it clear that he was not a part of any political party in the past. In fact, Gujjar revealed that he has been associated with the RSS.
Gujjar's arrest by Delhi Police
On the day when the Union Budget was presented, Gujjar was arrested by the Delhi police for opening aerial fire in the Jasola area near the sit-in organised by women in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Calling upon anti-CAA protesters to disperse, he had also reportedly shouted communal slogans. Fortunately, no one was injured in the firing. This attack turned into a political slugfest with AAP lambasting BJP for the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi.
Writing to the Election Commission as well as the Delhi police, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party alleged that the BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were conspiring to delay the Assembly election by fomenting trouble. However, the case took a different turn subsequently as the police recovered some photos which showed that Gujjar and his father had joined AAP in 2019. Refuting this allegation, Kejriwal called for Gujjar to be given exemplary punishment.
On March 7, Additional Sessions Judge Gulshan Kumar granted him bail. He was asked to submit a bail bond of Rs.25,000 and a surety of a similar amount. During the court proceedings, the Delhi Police opposed the bail application citing that the allegations against Gujjar are serious in nature. However, the accused's lawyer assured the court that he will not tamper with evidence or influence the witnesses in the case.
The Shaheen Bagh protests
Cleared by both Houses of Parliament, the CAA seeks to provide citizenship to the minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In opposition, a peaceful protest led by women commenced in the Shaheen Bagh area of the national capital in mid-December. Soon, this model of protest was replicated across the country and became a poll issue in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly election. On March 24 this year, the Delhi Police vacated the site of the protests owing to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Updated 18:09 IST, December 30th 2020