The death toll in northeast Delhi communal violence over the amended citizenship law rose to 17 on Wednesday, according to GTB Hospital authorities.

On Tuesday, the death toll was 13.

Four bodies were brought to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, taking the death toll to 17, a senior official said.
“ChoRenge nahi…chup nahi baithenge (Won’t spare and nor remain silent),” a rioter said. The chilling message was loud and clear at Maujpur Babarpur area – the epicentre of the riots in northeast Delhi.

Stones and brickbats lay strewn on the road at Maujpur Chowk. Mobs from two communities were roaming around in groups inside lanes on both the sides of the road. With great difficulty, the police had managed to vacate the main road.

“Took us great effort to control the violence,” said a policeman who advised the reporter to remain alert and leave the spot at the earliest.

That the violence had turned communal was amply clear at places where the rioters met no resistance. Houses and shops were targeted selectively by rioters, who checked the ownership billboards atop the shutters and other giveaways before venting their anger.

At Gokulpuri, a house was set ablaze which, locals said, was given on rent to Muslim residents.

“They took some of the belongings and left the house. And before leaving, they put the house on fire,” claimed an onlooker.

In localities where the Hindus were dominant, chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ were heard from nook and corner of every lanes. Men – young and old — were seen carrying sticks and rods.

“It is they ( read Muslims) who started it. They marched into our locality and vandalised shops, they had ‘charras’ (pellets)and hit on houses. What do you expect us to do? Sit and watch? We had to retaliate,” said a rioter.

“I am a proud Hindu, a Brahmin. Violence is not welcomed. But if they come and hurt us, we will do the same with them,” said another man.

The atmosphere was equally tense in areas where the Muslims are in greater numbers. Some had started leaving the locality to move out to their relatives for safety.

“This is a Muslim area, so we are safe. But we are extremely disappointed with the police. Hardly anyone has been deployed here. Looks like as if they want the mob to come and start riots,” said a man from Seelampur.

The sparks of Monday’s riots had spread inside the lanes and colonies of northeast Delhi.

Apart from Maujpur, Babarpur and Jaffrabad, signs of violence were clearly visible at Yamuna Vihar, Gokulpuri, Kardampuri and even at some of the lanes of Shahdara which connects to Maujpur.

“ChoRenge nahi…chup nahi baithenge (Won’t spare and nor remain silent),” a rioter said. The chilling message was loud and clear at Maujpur Babarpur area – the epicentre of the riots in northeast Delhi.

Stones and brickbats lay strewn on the road at Maujpur Chowk. Mobs from two communities were roaming around in groups inside lanes on both the sides of the road. With great difficulty, the police had managed to vacate the main road.

“Took us great effort to control the violence,” said a policeman who advised the reporter to remain alert and leave the spot at the earliest.

That the violence had turned communal was amply clear at places where the rioters met no resistance. Houses and shops were targeted selectively by rioters, who checked the ownership billboards atop the shutters and other giveaways before venting their anger.

At Gokulpuri, a house was set ablaze which, locals said, was given on rent to Muslim residents.

“They took some of the belongings and left the house. And before leaving, they put the house on fire,” claimed an onlooker.

In localities where the Hindus were dominant, chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ were heard from nook and corner of every lanes. Men – young and old — were seen carrying sticks and rods.

“It is they ( read Muslims) who started it. They marched into our locality and vandalised shops, they had ‘charras’ (pellets)and hit on houses. What do you expect us to do? Sit and watch? We had to retaliate,” said a rioter.

“I am a proud Hindu, a Brahmin. Violence is not welcomed. But if they come and hurt us, we will do the same with them,” said another man.

The atmosphere was equally tense in areas where the Muslims are in greater numbers. Some had started leaving the locality to move out to their relatives for safety.

“This is a Muslim area, so we are safe. But we are extremely disappointed with the police. Hardly anyone has been deployed here. Looks like as if they want the mob to come and start riots,” said a man from Seelampur.

The sparks of Monday’s riots had spread inside the lanes and colonies of northeast Delhi.

Apart from Maujpur, Babarpur and Jaffrabad, signs of violence were clearly visible at Yamuna Vihar, Gokulpuri, Kardampuri and even at some of the lanes of Shahdara which connects to Maujpur.