Following the anti-CAA riots that gripped several parts of North East Delhi in the last week of February, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah today spoke for the first time about the ghastly violence that rendered about 50 dead and several hundred injured. The Lok Sabha discussed the Delhi riots today under Rule 193 of the house proceedings, which meant there would be no voting after the debate. The Congress legislators staged a walkout even as Shah detailed measures adopted by the government to contain the spiralling riots.

Here are salient points made by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his speech in the Lok Sabha:

No incidents of riots took place after February 25th

Paying homage and expressing his condolences for the victims of the Delhi riots, Shah said that no riots took place after February 25 and that attempts were being made to politicise the riots.

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Shah praises Delhi Police’s handling of the riots

Defending Delhi Police, Shah revealed in the lower house of the parliament that the police contained the riots within 36 hours of their eruption. Delhi Police was held in the dock for their supposedly biased handling of the riots in the National Capital. Rubbishing the aspersions against the police, Shah lauded their effort and declared that the police probe is underway and it will soon be submitting a report on the violence in Delhi.

Shah also added that he skipped his visit to the pre-scheduled program with the US President Donald Trump and sat all day with the Delhi Police officials to monitor the situation in the National Capital, claiming that he chose not to visit the program as it would have caused Delhi Police to strain their resources on his security arrangements.

Social Media was used as an instrument to incite violence

According to Shah, Delhi Police are closely scrutinising about 60 social media accounts which were created on February 22 and closed down on February 26, 2020. Shah stated that the violence in Delhi was fanned by inflammatory posts on social media by nefarious elements, adding that a thorough investigation by Delhi Police is underway to determine the culprits behind the incident.

Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha on Delhi violence: I assure the House that the Delhi Police will hold a thorough investigation into this incident. https://t.co/jzrHqzUHmW — ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2020

700 FIRs registered till date in the Delhi violence case

While talking about the police action in the violence that gripped north-eastern part of Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that about 700 FIRs have been lodged till date since February 27 in connection with the riots in the National Capital. Shah assured that all those who have been involved in causing unrest in the city will be brought to book and none of them will be spared.

Riots in Delhi were orchestrated and a case of conspiracy has been registered to probe the angle: Shah

Shah contended that the riots on such a massive scale in a short span of time is impossible without the possibility of a conspiracy. He stated that a case of conspiracy has been lodged to investigate the angle and the police have made 3 arrests on the charges of financing the violence in the North East Delhi.

Home Minister Amit Shah: The spread of riots on such a big scale in such a short time is not possible without a conspiracy. We have register a case of conspiracy to probe this angle. Three people have been arrested for financing the violence in North East Delhi. #Delhiviolence https://t.co/8O4ci1xZla — ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2020

“We did not take the riots casually. Prima facie, I believe that the riots were pre-planned. I assured families of the riot victims that the culprits will not be spared no matter which religion, caste or political party they belong to,” Shah said.