Over the last one week, Delhi saw some of its worst violence in decades with 42 people losing their lives. Northeast Delhi, in particular, has seen violence spiral out of control. As the region limps back to normalcy, BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who has faced several accusations of delivering hate speeches before the violence broke out, gathered at Jantar Mantar to hold a peace march on Saturday. The march was organised by the Delhi Peace Forum, an NGO, at Jantar Mantar against the communal violence that claimed several lives in northeast Delhi.
Slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' rent the air as hundreds of people gathered at Jantar Mantar carrying the tricolour.
BJP leader Kapil Mishra was also present at the march, though he was seated below the stage and among the crowd. He also did not deliver any speech and in fact did not go to the stage.
Mishra had tweeted in the morning requesting people to reach Jantar Mantar to participate in the peace march.
Mishra also chose not to answer the questions from the media.
As Mishra arrived at Jantar Mantar, his supporters raised slogans comparing him to lion (dekho dekho kaun aaya, sher aaya, sher aaya).
The peace march was also participated by those whose shops and houses were burnt.
However, some of the placards read - 'Why Ratan Lal was killed', 'Why temples were burnt', 'why schools were set ablaze' and 'Terror in the name of anti-CAA protest will not be allowed'.
There were some retired Army officers on the stage who said that the Citizenship Amendment Act is not against Indian citizens.
The march which began from Jantar Mantar continued to Connaught Place.
A riot victim provided details of incidents of violence and said, "I am a restaurant owner in northeast Delhi. Protests were going on peacefully but suddenly on Monday, there was stone pelting."
"Later, people set cars, bikes and shops on fire. They were not people from the area. They were professionals, which could be seen from how they were opening the shutters and car bonnets by inserting rods and then throwing petrol bombs," he added.
Before the march began, those who had gathered paid homage to those killed in the riots. Afterwards they raised slogans against the rioters and demanded their arrest.
(With inputs from IANS)
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