Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician, its chief conspiracy theorist and hate speech maker from Delhi, Kapil Mishra, has once again pronounced the verdict and sentence on the on–going investigations into the February 2020 North East Delhi communal violence.
Soon after the arrest of activist Dr Umar Khalid, Mishra got to work as expected. His social media post read, “In Delhi, people like Omar Khalid, Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Safura Zargar, Apoorvanand planned and massacred with preparation.” He called the Delhi riots, where innocents citizens, many Muslims and some Hindus were killed, injured, displaced a “terrorist attack like 26/11” likening it to the Mumbai attack.
Of course, Mishra had named those he blamed earlier and called for their deaths stating, “These terrorists, killers should be hanged”, adding his personal “Congratulations” to the Delhi Police, for good measure.
दिल्ली में उमर खालिद, ताहिर हुसैन, खालिद सैफी, सफूरा जरगर, अपूर्वानंद जैसे लोगों ने योजना बनाकर, तैयारी के साथ कत्लेआम किया
ये 26/11 जैसा आतंकी हमला था
इन आतंकियों, हत्यारों को फांसी होनी चाहिए
दिल्ली पुलिस को बधाई pic.twitter.com/I1GQgjEVc9
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) September 14, 2020
Kapil Mishra posted a video, shot inside a car, making the demands. Mishra said, “I have full faith that criminals like Umar Khalid and Tahir Hussain will be hanged, imprisoned for life, for killing people. The citizens of Delhi await justice.” The video went viral as expected.
Activist and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar Dr. Umar Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police on Sunday night, after nearly 11 hours of questioning, and charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Many activists, students, senior IPS officers, and ordinary citizens have all expressed solidarity with Dr. Khalid and other activists who had previously protested the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and are now being questioned, and arrested in relation to the investigation into the February 2020 violence.
However, Kapil Mishra, has continued making hate speeches and accusations as always. Social media users also uploaded videos to remind him of how, encouraged by his own speech, Hindutva groups roamed the streets calling for violence.
ये कौन है बे भगवा आतंकी pic.twitter.com/bO5dYdPUIz
— Saquib Ayaz (@SaquibAyaz2) September 14, 2020
These including journalists who once again uploaded February images and reportage from North East Delhi, where they clearly heard and recorded hate slogans such as, “Goli maaro ___ ko” & “Hindustan mein rehna hoga toh jai shri ram kehna hoga” SLOGANS being raised in front of the cops here where stone pelting happened.”
?”Goli maaro ___ ko” & “Hindustan mein rehna hoga toh jai shri ram kehna hoga” SLOGANS being raised in front of the cops here where stone pelting happened.
?I’ll continue to update with verified inputs & videos. Situation tense.
?My Video report from Maujpur? pic.twitter.com/06muR4bToA
— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) February 23, 2020
An anonymous user, uploaded a heartbreaking video of the grieving father of Rahul Solanki who was killed in Delhi riots named Kapil Mishra as provoking riots. He said “Protests were going peaceful for months but Kapil Mishra provoked and burnt Delhi which took my son’s life”
Listen to this grieving father of Rahul Solanki who was killed in Delhi riots. He had said “Protests were going peaceful for months but Kapil Mishra provoked and burnt Delhi which took my son’s life”
Delhi Police can’t see all these. #StandWithUmarKhalid pic.twitter.com/yiB5090hlz
— Drunk Journalist (@drunkJournalist) September 14, 2020
However, Mishra remains immune to any criticism, nor does he seem to have any regard for the law, or fear of law enforcing authorities. His confidence stems from the fact that he continues to be ignored by Delhi Police, and has not been named in any investigation by them.
The most circulated video of Kapil Mishra issuing an ultimatum to Delhi police and suggesting that his people would take the law into their own hands should the police fail to evict anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters from near the Jafrabad metro station, was even played before the Delhi High Court. The video was played as the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the government of India, had claimed that he had not seen the video. Justice Murlidhar who was hearing the matter then insisted that the video be played before the court. After the video was played and Mishra could be seen delivering the ultimatum while standing next to a uniformed policeman, the identity of the policeman in the frame was also revealed to be DCP (NE) Ved Prakash Surya. No action was taken against Mishra even after that.
Misra had previously been stripped of his ministerial portfolio, and later sacked by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He joined BJP in August 2019, months after he had openly shown his right wing affiliations and campaigned against the AAP. Ironically, the AAP too has remained silent on Mishra’s continuing communal hate speech and allegations, all of which have the potential of creating communal disturbances even now in Delhi.
Even though Mishra is yet to be officially ‘rewarded’ by the BJP with either an election ticket, nomination to a political post, or an appointment to any statutory body, he continues creating controversy, perhaps in the hope of being recognised by the top leadership one day. For now, the fact that he is allowed to escape any legal consequences, is his reward.
Related:
Hate Speech by BJP’s Top Brass fuelled Build Up to Delhi Violence: Minorities Commission
Delhi violence: Is Kapil Mishra the villain of the story?
BJP’s Kapil Mishra says ‘shoot the traitors’ at pro-CAA rally
Umar Khalid arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell