NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress traded charges on Monday over the violence during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Jamia Millia Islamia the day before.
The two parties blamed each other for vitiating the ambience on campus and disturbing law and order in the city. Delhi BJP Manoj Tiwari also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), especially Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan of inciting violence on the streets.
Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra, who led a protest against the violence on Monday, claimed that the Jamia students were targeted at the behest of the Centre, as it wanted to crush dissent.
Citing a ‘tweet’ by the Deputy CM, Tiwari said the Delhi government, instead of appealing for peace and enforcing order, provoked the students into violence. “The speech of the AAP MLA (Amanatullah Khan) was extremely provocative and it only served to fuel violence on the streets. The chief minister is protecting him and the Congress leaders are also speaking in support of the violent demonstration,” Tiwari said during a press conference on Monday.
Later in the day, Tiwari, along with former Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel, visited the scene of the violent protests on Sunday evening. They were seen talking to locals and shopkeepers.
The Delhi BJP chief also met Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, lodging a complaint against the Deputy CM and the Okhla MLA for their alleged role in the violence.
Urging students to refrain from violence, he accused AAP and the Congress of using them as pawns for political gain.