Cops say probing conspiracy but investigation itself a conspiracy, say anti-CAA activists

new delhi: Prominent anti-CAA activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid along with other key activists who had strongly protested against the citizenship law on Friday raised questions on the way the Delhi Police in investigating the north-east Delhi riots cases, with Khalid going on to say, "The police say they are investigating the conspiracy behind the riots but the entire police probe itself has turned out to be a conspiracy."

Khalid, who himself has been accused by the Delhi Police, of purportedly inciting riots, said that while probe officials have not been able to produce a single piece of evidence linking him to inciting violence, they seem to be ignoring other key events leading up to the February riots, which point towards the complicity and role of people belonging to the ruling dispensation.

The comments came at a press conference hosted by Delhi University Professor Apoorvanand, who has also been questioned in one of the riots cases and was attended by All India Students' Association Delhi President Kanwalpreet Kaur, political analyst Yogendra Yadav and social activist Harsh Mander.

Khalid spoke of what the Delhi Police was missing in its probe when the conversation went around to how the investigation was linking events in December last year to the riots. The anti-CAA activist said that BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra had been making speeches inciting violence against protesters as early as December 20 but there is no mention of these instances in the Delhi Police's "chronology".

Yadav echoed the same sentiment and put 11 questions to the Delhi Police over its investigation into the riots. He questioned the police over why no action had been taken against BJP leaders and other political leaders associated with the ruling party such as Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Kapil Mishra despite video evidence of them inciting violence against peaceful

protesters.

Yadav's list of questions also asked why the police do not seem to be acting on complaints of police complicity during the riots and also asked why the Delhi Police was not looking into allegations of custodial torture of anti-CAA activists and protesters. He brought up the allegations that student leader Khalid Saifi was tortured by police in custody and physically assaulted. "Everyone can see him (Khalid Saifi) walking perfectly fine when the police picked him up. But after being in custody, both his legs are broken. How is this happening," he asked. Yadav also questioned why the police were using laws like the UAPA to arrest students and activists without evidence.

Moreover, DU professor Apoorvanad, who is among the list of people who were questioned by the police for their association with a WhatsApp group where anti-CAA protesters organised their movement, questioned why democratic activities like protesting were being criminalised. In fact, responding to a question about a purported meeting on December 8 last year, Yadav said he had attended the meeting and had even seen JNU student Sharjeel Imam. "While I did not know who the student was at the time and him and I disagreed on some things but at no point did he discuss or indicate that the movement should be violent," Yadav said, adding that many people recently questioned were asked about this purported meeting.

Umar Khalid added during the presser, responding to a question, that at the time of a pandemic when the "administration is using the pandemic and the lockdown" to arrest indiscriminately, the immediate objective of "all democratic people" should be to stand in solidarity with students and activists jailed without evidence. "To fight for their release is the immediate task," he said.

Meanwhile, Mander said that while local police should be held accountable for their action, the real accountability should lie with the leadership, both of the police and the country.