NEW DELHI: Delhi Police acted “swiftly” during the communal riots in North East Delhi bringing the riotous situation to normalcy within a “short span”, the government claimed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The government was asked whether it has ordered an internal inquiry to investigate lapses on the part of Delhi Police in preventing the outbreak of violence in February 2020.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, made a statement on communal violence in Delhi while responding to Kottayam MP Thomas Chazhikadan who sought details of action taken against police personnel who failed to prevent the violence in North East Delhi.
“Delhi Police makes sustained efforts to obviate occurrence of any untoward incident in the NCT of Delhi. During violence in the North-East part of Delhi, Delhi Police acted swiftly in an impartial and fair manner,” the junior home minister said, in a written reply.
Rai also informed the Lower House of Parliament that “proportionate” and “appropriate” actions were taken by Delhi Police to control the situation.
The minister added that preventive action was taken by Delhi Police against mischief mongers, persons spreading rumours and other anti-social elements as police either arrested them or detained them under various preventive sections of law.
“Round-the-clock deployment of forces was ensured in all the vulnerable areas to maintain peace and law and order. Sincere, dedicated and incessant efforts made by Delhi Police brought the riotous situation to normalcy within a short span of time and prevented the riots from spreading across Delhi/NCR,” Rai said.
The riots, which broke out in seven areas of North East Delhi on February 24 for three days, claimed 53 lives and left over 400 injured. Many individuals, civil society groups and institutions, including the Delhi Minorities Commission questioned the role of police during the riots.