NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accused Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Delhi of orchestrating a “riot-like” situation in the national capital, referring to the fear of violence on Eid after Uttam Nagar Tarun murder case. Moreover, Delhi high court issued directions to the police to make adequate arrangements in Uttam Nagar area on Eid and continue it till Ram Navami.“Bloodshed is what only the BJP and its ecosystem desire, which seizes every opportunity to bake the bread of violence on the griddle of hatred. They want the country to remain entangled in Hindu-Muslim strife, so that people cannot ask why on earth the Prime Minister is compelled to hand over the nation’s defence, energy security, food security, and strategic sovereignty to America – and that is precisely why, in broad daylight, riot-like conditions are once again being engineered in the country’s capital,” Rahul said in a post on X on Thursday.“The people of Uttam Nagar have paid a heavy price for the violence – on one side, a young man, Tarun, has lost his life, and on the other, an entire family is facing persecution. They want no more bloodshed,” he added.He further appealed to the Delhi residents to not to fall for BJP’s “provocation”.“An appeal to the residents of Delhi: do not fall for any provocation – the strength of our nation lies in our unity, brotherhood, and love. Connect the connections, unite India,” he said.High court’s directions came after a PIL was filed regarding concerns over possible violence during Eid in the Uttam Nagar area. The petitioner, citing alleged threats, requested directions to the Delhi Police and district administration to take preventive measures. The plea also refers to a Holi incident in Uttam Nagar in which a 26-year-old was allegedly beaten to death by members of a particular community.Tarun, around 26 years old, was allegedly beaten to death after a neighbourhood dispute between two families from different religious communities in Uttam Nagar escalated.The plea said that although the initial incident in Uttam Nagar was local, it was later widely communalised through the spread of inflammatory content, mobilisation of crowds, and organisation of protests such as “Akrosh Sabhas.” It alleged that these gatherings featured provocative speeches inciting violence against the Muslim community, including slogans promoting extrajudicial killings, economic boycott, and social exclusion. According to the plea, this has created a climate of fear and heightened risk to life and property, especially with Eid approaching, as some speeches have explicitly called for preventing Muslims from celebrating the festival.“The ‘ultimatum’ given in several hate speeches for extrajudicial police encounter of the accused persons in the Tarun murder case, and full punitive demolitions of their houses, has further led to clarion calls of not allowing Eid celebrations in Uttam Nagar and making the Muslims cry like that of Tarun’s family,” the plea said.“It is also submitted that this has created a very high chance of riots or other disturbances being caused on the day of Eid, especially with the circulation of online posters and messages calling for the celebration of Holi in Uttam Nagar on the day of Eid. It is likely that further hateful and provocative speeches will be made targeting the ‘particular community’, since it is in continuation of the already criminal narrative in the public sphere,” the plea added.
