The march was reportedly organised by lawyer and ex- BJP spokesperson Ashwani Upadhyay.
Highlights
- Slogans shouted allegedly in protest organised by BJP's Ashwani Upadhyay
- Delhi Police has filed a case "against unknown persons"
- Had denied permission for the event due to Covid: Police
Videos of a group shouting violent anti-Muslim slogans during a protest in the heart of Delhi, near parliament and top government offices, have gone viral but no one has been arrested till now.
In the clips circulating on social media, slogans threaten the killing of Muslims alongside chants of "Ram, Ram".
"Hindustan mein rehna hoga jai shri ram kehna hoga (To stay in India, must say Jai Shri Ram)," shout people at the rally held at Jantar Mantar, one of the most prominent protest sites in the nation, barely a km from parliament.
The slogans were shouted allegedly during a protest organised by Supreme Court lawyer and former Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwani Upadhyay. He says he is not aware of the videos; only five or six were shouting slogans and that too while dispersing after the march, he said, adding that such slogans should not have been raised.
"Neither was I there when this happened, nor am I aware nor did I invite these people. This must have happened after I left. Strict action must be taken against those we can see in the videos," said the lawyer.
The Delhi Police says it has filed a case "against unknown persons". Senior police officer Deepak Yadav said: "We are looking at the videos and identifying them. It is a process." Late on Monday night, Delhi Police sources said they had identified three people, including Ashwini Upadhyay, as possible suspects in the case and they may be arrested.
The slogans were shouted in the presence of Narsinghanand Saraswati, a priest notorious for communal hate speeches. TV actor and BJP leader Gajendra Chauhan was also reportedly a part of the protest.
The march, dubbed "Colonial Laws and Make Uniform Laws" was organised in protest against old colonial-era laws.
The police claim they had denied permission to the event on account of Covid rules but a large crowd showed up. It is not clear, however, why no policemen were present at a site where security is usually higher than average.
"People who had gathered there had no permission. Necessary action will be taken," said Mr Yadav.
The incident was raised in parliament today by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who alleged in the Lok Sabha that "genocidal slogans" were raised against Muslims "20 minutes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence".
"After all, what is the secret of the growing courage of these hooligans? They know that the Modi government stands with them. On July 24, the Central government under National Security Act (NSA) had given the Delhi Police the right to detain any person. Yet the Delhi Police is quietly watching the spectacle," Mr Owaisi said.
He also cited a Mahapanchayat or large public gathering held on Sunday in Dwarka on Delhi's outskirts to protest against the construction of a Haj house in the area. Videos from the event showed the protesters making communally provocative comments and threatening violence.