Weeks after OpIndia had exclusively reported the statement of Ex-Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain confessing his involvement in the Delhi riots in February this year, the same has been confirmed by Delhi police. According to reports, police have informed that Tahil Hussain has admitted during the interrogation that he is the mastermind of the Anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of February 2020. In his statement to Delhi Police he said that when he became Aam Aadmi Party’s councillor in 2017, he wanted to teach Hindus a lesson using his political position and money. According to the official confession, he got support from Khalid Saifi and Popular Front of India (PFI).
Tahir Hussain and Khalid Saifi planned the riots
Tahir Hussain in his confession during the interrogation of Delhi Police, said that Khalid Saifi, who is very close to him, planned the riots with him. He once told him that his political position and money should be used against Hindus and for the community. He promised Saifi that he will always be ready to take any step. After the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Ram Lalla Virajman and the Indian government passed Citizen Amendment Act tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah, Tahir and Khalid met and decided that this is time they have to act.
PFI provided space and money to formulate a plan for the riots
In his confession, Tahir Hussain said that Khalid Saifi introduced him to Umar Khalid, ex-student of JNU at PFI office in Shaheen Bagh. He alleged that Umar Khalid told him that he is ready to die. Saifi promised Hussain that Danish, member of PFI, will help him financially in the war against Hindus. They made the plan in PFI office that they will do something big in Delhi that will shake the roots of the central government and it will be forced to take back CAA. Khalid Saifi took the responsibility to provoke people to a level that they come out on the streets.
According to Delhi police, Tahir Hussain has confessed that he had collected empty liquor and cold drink bottles from scrap dealers, and as construction was going on at his house, collecting bricks and stones without arousing doubt was not an issue. He also collected petrol and diesel by filling the tanks of vehicles full, which was transferred to containers at his house. Tahir also said that Umar had also asked him to collect acid, and accordingly, he had stocked large quantities of acid, bricks, stones, petrol, diesel etc on the roof of his house. Umar had planned to use them to attack people during US President Trump’s India visit. Tahir Hussain informed that he also collected his licensed pistol, which was deposited with police, to use during the riots.
What does the charge sheet against Tahir Hussain says
The charge sheet pertaining to FIR 114 states that Tahir played a vital role in burning several Hindu shops in the Khajuri Khas area along with his accomplices. During the investigation, police found out that he had instigated a mob during the riots of 24th and 25th February 2020 saying that Hindus have killed many Muslims and had set their shops on fire on the Sherpur Chowk. The charge sheet says, “Only 64 live cartridges and 22 empty cartridges were recovered at his instance. During interrogation, he could not give an account of the remaining 14 live cartridges and 22 empty/fired cartridges, when and where the same were fired/used.”
OpIndia’s detailed report on the chronology of the event that led up to the riots is now available on Kindle. It has a comprehensive account of the loss of life and property in riots and how Hindus were targeted.
