Man opens fire at Shaheen Bagh protest site, says 'only Hindus will have a say'

Two day after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters near the Jamia university, another man on Saturday fired two rounds in the air at Shaheen Bagh, the epicentre of the protest against the country's new citizenship law, and was later taken into custody.

No one was injured in the incident that came even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during a poll rally in Delhi's northwest Rohini area alleged that those who support terrorists in Kashmir are staging protest at Shaheen Bagh.

The man, who identified himself as Kapil Gujjar, chanted Jai Shree Ram and said, "hamare desh me aur kisi ki nahi chalegi, sirf Hindu ki chalegi (only Hindus shall have a say in our country, no one else)," as he was taken into custody by the Delhi Police.

"The accused fired in air near police barricades. He was overpowered by police personnel and taken into custody. Further investigation is on," Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) said.

The police said they are verifying his identity.

According to eyewitnesses, the man shouted "Hindu Rashtra Zindabad" and fired two rounds.

The incident, which comes days after a local contractor armed with a gun had come to the site and asked the people to end the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, has triggered panic in the area.

A woman protestor, who didn't wish to be named, said the incident has created panic among them as well as children.

"Many women and children were inside the tent when the incident occurred. We rushed to the spot after hearing a gunshot. Everyone is scared. But we won't leave the spot, she said.

Notwithstanding the unnerving incident, many people thronged the protest site to express solidarity with the protestors. Many of them sung the national anthem while others offered namaz there.

The protestors also raised slogans against the Delhi Police.

Abu Ala Suhani, a publisher and resident of Shaheen Bagh said,"the man appeared to be in his 20s and fired two rounds. While he was being taken into custody, we heard a policeman asking him his name. The man said his name was Kapil Gujjar and he belongs to Dallupura village in Uttar Pradesh."
Addressing another poll rally at Karawal Nagar Chowk in east Delhi, the BJP leader lashed out at the anti-CAA protesters, saying "their ancestors divided India, so they have a grouse against this emerging 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat'."
Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill tweeted,"Shooter changes but ideology pulling the trigger either in 1948 (Nathuram Godse) or 2020 remains the same 'Goli Maro' -- Hands which should be pulling India's growth are now firing guns."