Opposition's provocation over the last two months built the ground for North East Delhi violence: BJP

Hitting out at the Congress, Union Minister Prakash Javdekar, in a press conference, said, "Sonia Gandhi blamed BJP yesterday in her press conference and today in the memorandum to the President for the massive violnece, but, we want to point out that unrest had been brewing for the last two months and what happened was not sudden."

Blaming the top Congress leadership for creating panic, fear and confusion over CAA and NRC with their statements, Javadekar said, "In a rally on Dec 12, Sonia ji had urged everyone to put an ultimate fight (Aar paar ki ladai) and win or lose on the issue once and for all(Yaa iss taraf ya uss taraf). Priyanka Gandhi had said lakhs will be imprisoned and those who don't fight will be called cowards. Is it not instigation to commit violnce and misinterpretation of the CAA? Rahul Gandhi told, 'Don't be afraid, Congress is with you.' What were they urging people to fight against, why should people be afraid? Who is going to lose their citizenship?

"They made such statements, knowing very well that CAA  does not take away anybody's citizenship, only to instigate people. And, these instigations formed the background of the violence in Northeast Delhi."

Recalling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's statement during the 1984 riots after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination that it was a normal phenomenon that earth shook with the fall of a massive tree, Javadekar alleged that Congress president Sonia Gandhi's call for an ultimate fight was equally serious and irresponsible as that of her husband's.

"Senior Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, Mani Shankar Aiyar and Salman Khurshid went to Shaheen Bagh protest site to show their support and Mani Shankar Aiyar even went to Pakistan and said 'We (Congress) have hopes from Shaheen Bag,'"pointed out Javdekar.

"AAP leader Amanatullah told people they will not be allowed to wear skull caps after CAA is implemented. Is there any such provision in the act? What was it, if not provocation?" he questioned.

Javadekar said it was baffling to see how Congress is maintaining silence on the videos showing the recovery of materials used in the riot from AAP MLA Tahir Hussain's residence despite all news channels flashing the clips since morning. "His house had been turned into a factory of rioting material. All kinds of ammunition, petrol bomb, stones of various sizes were shown in the video. Congress has said nothing," alleged Javadekar.

He also questioned the communal and separatist remarks made from CAA protest sites and if they did not build up the ground for violence that erupted on last Monday and Tuesday in the northeastern part of the national capital. "'Jinnah Wali Azadi, 'Assam ko alag kar denge', '100 crore par 15 crore bhari parenge'... What were these comments? Weren't they communal? Didn't these speakers provoke the people to commit violence? But, neither the Congress nor the AAP ever said a word against them" he commented.

"No word of protest on the gruesome killings of policeman Ratan Lal, IB personnel Ankit Sharma, either. Policemen of the ranks of ACP, DCP have been critically injured. Journalists were targetted. Yet, not a word! And, now the Congress tells the press and the President that BJP is to be blamed for the incidents," he added.

"This is the worst kind of blame-game. Instead of trying to restore peace in the environment of violence, all they are doing is politics. We condemn this type of politics," he said.