Delhi Protests: Sonia Gandhi demands resignation of Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Wednesday unleashed an all-out attack against the government over violence in northeast Delhi which has claimed at least 22 lives, with Congress president Sonia Gandhi demanding home minister Amit Shah 's resignation and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury describing Delhi violence a "chilling reminder" of the 2002 Gujarat riots The BJP reacted strongly to these charges and accused Sonia Gandhi of playing "dirty politics" by targeting the Modi government. The party rejected the demand for home minister Amit Shah's resignation as "laughable", saying he has been working continuously with police to bring peace in the capital.Earlier today, the Congress held a meeting of its working committee, party's highest decision-making body, on the situation in the national capital and passed a resolution, asserting that what has happened in Delhi "is a colossal failure of duty".The Congress leaders, including general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, then took out a ‘peace march' from party office to the Gandhi Smriti on the Tees January Marg.Speaking to the media after chairing the Congress Working Committee meeting, Sonia Gandhi alleged there was a "well-planned" conspiracy behind the violence, that has also led to injuries to more than 200 people over the past three days.She also urged the people of Delhi to "reject the politics of hate and do their best in healing the rifts caused by these shameful events".Union minister Prakash Javadekar accused Sonia Gandhi of politicising the violence.Taking a swipe at the Congress, he said those whose hands are "tainted with the bloods of innocent Sikhs" are now talking about checking violence, a reference to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots "Playing a blame-game at this time is wrong. Politicising such violence is a wrong way always used by the Congress," he said, while asserting that culprits will be identified and no one responsible will be spared."At such a time, attacking the government and politicising violence is a dirty politics," he said, adding that it also demoralises police.At least 22 people have been killed in communal violence in northeast Delhi since Sunday, triggered after clashes between pro and anti-CAA protesters over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.Police conducted flag marches and security personnel spread out across the violence-battered localities in the national capital to quell the unrest.Attacking the government, Yechury in a joint press conference with CPI general secretary D Raja, alleged that it was clear that the violence in Delhi has the sanction of police and that of the "powers that govern them"."Violence in Delhi is a chilling reminder of the communal genocide in Gujarat in 2002 when the current Prime Minister was the state chief minister," alleged Yechury.Both Raja and Yechury questioned the role of Amit Shah in dealing with the violence and blamed him for not being able to contain the situation."If the National Security Advisor is supposed to be in charge of Delhi Police, then what is the role of home minister? Has the government conceded that home minister Shah is incapable of handling Delhi violence," they asked. They said there is nothing spontaneous about the violence that claimed so many lives and left hundreds injured, and accused BJP leader Kapil Mishra of instigating it. Mishra had earlier publicly called for forcible removal of protesters from various protest sites."Home minister Shah has sought to evade the nature of the planned violence by calling it spontaneous. The only way confidence can be restored among the people and strict action taken against miscreants is to call in the army to aid the civilian authority," said Yechury.The Left leaders also said that they will visit the violence-hit areas along with other political parties soon.