Doval tasked to bring Delhi situation under control after violence spirals

Concerned over the deteriorating law and order situation in the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval the mandate to restore normalcy in riot-hit northeast Delhi where at least 20 people have been killed in the communal violence, officials said on Wednesday.

Immediately after taking over the assignment, Doval undertook a late night tour of the riot-hit areas on Tuesday accompanied by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and newly-appointed Special Commissioner S N Shrivastava and other senior officers, they said.

He visited the affected northeastern parts of Delhi, including Jaffrabad and Seelampur, where he met police officers and gave them necessary directives, besides meeting leaders of different communities to assuage the tensed situation, the officials said.

Shrivastava is believed to have been handpicked by Doval himself after Patnaik faced flak for failing to curb spiralling violence in the national capital in the backdrop of high-profile visit of US President Donald Trump, they said.

Delhi Police reports to the Union Home Ministry.

After taking on-the-spot assessment of the violence-hit areas, Doval on Wednesday morning briefed the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday about the ground situation in areas under the grip of the communal riots over the amended citizenship law, the officials said.

He also briefed the CCS, the country's top most body on strategic affairs, about steps taken to quell the violence and restore normalcy as early as possible, they said.

Besides the prime minister, the CCS comprises Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The 75-year old former Intelligence Bureau chief, Doval is known for his hands on approach and is considered a close confidante of the prime minister and his go-to man for any crisis situation.

Doval had camped in Jammu and Kashmir for more than a fortnight after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions in August last year.