Riot and riposte: Govt's explanation in Parliament was disingenuous

Mr Shah's 50-minute Lok Sabha speech can be best described as a model of mendacity; it apportioned the blame on everyone but his ministry and the Delhi police, which report to him

Indians seeking clarity from the government on the causes, responses, and aftermath of the riots in north-east Delhi, in which 53 people died and over 500 injured, would have been confused by Home Minister Amit Shah’s explanations in the Lok Sabha on March 11. Mr Shah’s 50-minute speech can be best described as a model of mendacity. It apportioned the blame on everyone but his ministry and the Delhi police, which report to him. According to his version, the riots were pre-planned, financed, and mobilised externally (by implication the Muslim community) and the police were exemplars of law enforcement by