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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday appealed to Delhi residents to maintain peace and brotherhood.

Peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times. It is important that there is calm and normalcy is restored at the earliest. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 26, 2020

However, the comments made by some BJP leaders on social media are far from pacifying.

Minutes before PM Modi made the appeal, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya accused the media of being selective in what it showed the world about the violence.

Indian Express skilfully cropped the scull cap to make a Muslim mob appear ‘secular’… What is the compulsion to cover for Muslim rioters? They must now institute Ramnath Goenka award for upholding secular values! pic.twitter.com/Cm8TFXRrD5 — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 26, 2020

Malviya had also tweeted earlier: “Chun chun ke Hinduo ke ghar ko jalaya gaya (Hindu households were targeted and burnt). Is this protest against CAA or a war against Hindus?”

चुन चुन के हिंदुओं के घरों को जलाया गया। Is this protest against CAA or a war against Hindus? #DelhiViolence pic.twitter.com/XjEX5cUIEW — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 26, 2020

Malviya was not the only one. BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who has been accused of instigating violence in Delhi, also took to Twitter and accused AAP councillor Tahir Hussain for the murder of Intelligence Bureau official Ankit Sharma.

Ankit Sharma – IB अफसर दंगो में हत्या करके नाले में लाश फेंक दी गयी आम आदमी पार्टी के नेहरू विहार के निगम पार्षद ताहिर हुसैन के घर से लड़के निकले और अंकित शर्मा को घसीट कर मारते हुए ले गए ताहिर हुसैन के घर से गोलियां पेटोल बम लगातार चलाये गए pic.twitter.com/h52jMJA6OR — Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) February 26, 2020

Also read: The Delhi pogrom 2020 is Amit Shah’s answer to an election defeat

Support for Kapil Mishra

Many other BJP leaders have termed the Delhi violence as “planned riots”, saying it was a “conspiracy” at a time when US President Donald Trump was visiting India. Some even justified the provocative speeches made by Mishra.

Mishra had given a three-day ultimatum to the Delhi Police to clear streets in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh, where protests were going on against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He even said that if the police failed to respond, “we will not even listen to you if the roads are not vacated”.

Mishra also tweeted Tuesday, saying “Jaffrabad has been cleared and there won’t be another Shaheen Bagh in Delhi”. But he later deleted the tweet.

BJP’s general secretary (organisation), B.L. Santhosh, posted a similar message at around 9 pm Tuesday, albeit in more incendiary language: “Jaffrabad Metro protest area totally cleared. The game starts now. Rioters need to be taught a lesson or two of Indian laws. #PlannedDelhiRiots.”

He later deleted the tweet and re-posted it without “the game starts now”.

Jaffrabad Metro protest area totally cleared . Time to enforce law in its entire spirit . Rioters need to be taught a lesson or two of Indian laws . #PlannedDelhiRiots — B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) February 25, 2020

Santhosh had earlier questioned the AAP government’s “subdued reactions”, and asked in a tweet if it was “because of one way polling in selected booths & AAPs total victory in minority dominated constituencies…?” He added: “Nation will never forgive them.”

What is the reason for Delhi Govt & AAPs subdued reactions to #PlannedDelhiRiots ? No relief to Cops killed or citizens murdered . Is it because of one way polling in selected booths & AAPs total victory in minority dominated constituencies …? Nation will never forgive them . — B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) February 25, 2020

Delhi BJP chief and North-East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari and East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir both asked political parties to exercise restraint and not make inflammatory speeches. But Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga retweeted a post that said that when BJP MP Parvesh Verma had cautioned Delhiites about Shaheen Bagh protesters, no one had paid heed. “Dekha na, ghuss aaye tumhare gharo mein. Ab kya karoge? Kaun si dharmnnirpekshta bachane aayegi, (Look, they’ve entered your homes. Now what will you do? Which secularism will come to save you?)” the tweet stated.

Bagga also responded to a tweet accusing Mishra of inciting violence which led to loss of lives, saying: “I stand with Kapil Mishta, don’t try to divide us.”

I stand with @KapilMishra_IND , don't try to divide us https://t.co/4tDiLfqjEK — Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) February 26, 2020

Mishra also received support from Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta. “Some media persons and intellectuals are saying that Kapil Mishra is responsible for Delhi violence. But they remain mum on statements by Waris Pathan. They don’t want to stop violence but want to run their own business while Delhi burns,” Gupta had tweeted Tuesday.

मीडिया के कुछ मित्र और तथाकथित बुद्धजीवी कह रहे हैं कि दिल्ली में हो रही हिंसा के लिए @KapilMishra_IND जी जिम्मेदार हैं, वहीं ये वारिस पठान जैसे लोगों के बयानों पर चुप्पी साध लेते हैं। ये लोग हिंसा रोकना नहीं चाहते,बल्कि हिंसा की आग में अपनी एजेंडा की दुकान चमकाने में लगे हैं। — Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) February 25, 2020

Sambit Patra, BJP’s national spokesperson, also posted a video showing Shahrukh, an accused in the violence, and asking “Headmaster’s Son??”

Patra was probably making an oblique reference to Burhan Wani, the slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander who was the son of a school headmaster.

Also read: Delhi riots neither designed by Modi govt, nor Islamic conspiracy. It’s far more dangerous

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