India is being divided: Rahul Gandhi after visiting riot-hit northeast Delhi

New Delhi:A delegation of Congress leaders, led by former party chief Rahul Gandhi, visited riot-affected areas of northeast Delhi Wednesday to assess the situation on the ground. He was accompanied by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kumari Selja among other party leaders. The communal violence in northeast Delhi has left at least 47 dead and over 200 injured.

"Our future has been burnt here. Hate and violence have destroyed it," Gandhi said after visiting a gutted school in Brijpuri area. "India is being divided and no one is benefitting from this," he continued, adding that it only harms people and Bharat Mata.

Two separate party delegations left for different areas in northeast Delhi, news agency PTI reported. The first delegation, comprised mostly of MPs, left in a bus from the Kerala House and included Hibi Eden, Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Abdul Khaleque.

The second delegation which included Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury among others visited Arun Modern Senior Secondary School in Brijpuri area, which is now home to broken desks and burnt books after it was vandalised during the violence.

A day after violence broke out in northeast Delhi on February 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had urged people to show restraint, compassion and understanding irrespective of the provocation. Condemning the violence, he said peaceful protests are a sign of a healthy democracy, but violence can never be justified.

The Congress party has been demanding that the issue of communal riots in Delhi be debated in Parliament and proceedings of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the third day today over the issue.

According to PTI, Congress president Sonia Gandhi last week had deputed a five-member team to visit the riot-affected areas of Delhi and submit a report to her after assessing the situation there. The delegation comprised ofAll India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Mukul Wasnik, AICC in-charge Delhi Shaktisinh Gohil, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja, former MP Tariq Anwar and Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev.

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)