Delhi violence 'one-sided', thousands fled to native villages, says Delhi Minorities Commission report

A report of the Delhi Minorities Commission on the riots in northeast Delhi has claimed that thousands of people have fled the city to their native villages in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, and that the violence was "one-sided and well planned".

The report is based on the visit of Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) chairman Zafarul Islam Khan and member Kartar Singh Kochhar to the violence affected areas.

Riots broke out between pro and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) groups in northeastern part of the city last week. The violence then spread to nearby localities of Maujpur, Chand Bagh and Yamuna Vihar. The protesters roamed in streets brandishing swords and pistols and even torched vehicles and houses.

Forty-four people have died and more than 200 injured in the violence.

The report by the Delhi Minorities Commission claimed that the violence was "one-sided and well planned" in which "maximum" damage was inflicted on houses and shops of Muslims.

"Moreover, thousands of people have fled from the area and gone to their villages in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana or were living with relatives elsewhere in Delhi. Hundreds are still living in camps run by the community. Some are also living in camps run by the Delhi government," it said.

Khan said the DMC team visited many areas in northeast Delhi and witnessed extensive damage to houses, shops, schools and vehicles.

"It is our assessment that the violence in north-east district of Delhi was one-sided and well planned in which maximum damage was inflicted on Muslim houses and shops with local support," read the report.

"Without massive help, these people will not be able to rebuild their lives. We feel that the compensation announced by Delhi government is not adequate for the purpose," it said.

The Delhi Minorities Commission is a statutory body set up under the Delhi Minorities Commission Act, 1999.

Khan said the team visited various localities, including Chand Bagh, Jafrabad, Brijpuri, Gokalpuri, Mustafabad, Shiv Vihar, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura and Khajoori Khas.

"We found extensive damage to Muslim houses, shops and workshops everywhere we went," the report added.

The DMC team also met senior police officers who told the Commission that hundreds of people stranded in the violence were rescued by the police.