Since communal violence took place in Jahangirpuri, Delhi, after Hanuman Jayanti Shobha Yatra on April 16 got attacked by a Muslim mob, a lot of political parties have visited the affected areas, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Photos and videos have surfaced on social media platforms where the leaders of these parties could be seen distributing relief material to the “victims”. Some organizations also offered legal help to the accused in cases linked to communal violence.
OpIndia went to Jahangirpuri to examine the situation of relief and help provided by the political leaders. We found that most of the help was being provided only to one community. The political leaders seem to have abandoned the Hindu victims, and no one has come forward to help them. That means those who attacked the procession and started the violence are getting all the help they need, but those who were attacked have been abandoned.
#जमीअत उलमा-ए-हिंद की जानिब से C-Block #Jahangirpuri दिल्ली में राशन किट की तकसीम की शुरुआत की गई। @JamiatUlama_in started Ration Kits distribution to the victims in C-Block, #Jahangirpuri Delhi Victims. #Bulldozer@mahmoodAmadani pic.twitter.com/1ACXQx5lmL
— Mohammad Mubashir (@mubashirjuh) April 26, 2022
TMC declared Muslims ‘scared’
A delegation of Trinamool Congress had visited Jahagirpuri. They called it a ‘fact-finding team’ The party leaders targeted the Delhi Police and the government and declared Muslims who were seen throwing stones at the procession and even firing during the commotion as ‘scared’. They claimed that the facilities in the homes of the Muslim community were scarce, and the people of the community were living in fear.
TMC Fact finding delegation in Jahangirpuri, Delhi today #FAM4TMC pic.twitter.com/RyjZs2FmOa
— Mamata Banerjee Supporters (FAM) (@FAM4TMC) April 22, 2022
SP MP HT Hassan and Shafiqur Rahman Burk called encroachers ‘poor’
A delegation was sent by Samajwadi Party as well. Moradabad MP HT Hassan and Shafiqur Rahman led the delegation. Hassan condemned the demolition drive and termed the illegal encroachers as ‘poor’ and ‘destroyed’. He said the livelihood of the people was snatched away by the demolition drive. CPI leaders were also present with the SP delegation. They called the anti-encroachment campaign a ‘government tyranny’.
WATCH: Days after eviction drive, politicians make a beeline to violence-hit Jahangirpuri, demand compensation for damages
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) April 23, 2022
“Homes & shops of the poor were destroyed. Centre should resettle the aggrieved families,” says @samajwadiparty MP ST Hasan.
FULL: https://t.co/J26jO4Qe3c pic.twitter.com/ka7qICEIlE
These leaders talked about the accused. They visited their houses. However, they did not try to understand the pain of the victims. The OpIndia team went to the ground and talked to the victims. What they told us exposed the Left-Congress ecosystem.
No one went to the victims’ homes after the violence
OpIndia met the families of Hindu victims. Every family suffered loss and damage. Someone’s shop was looted, a victim’s car was damaged, another’s bike was broken, and another victim’s cart was burnt down to ashes. All of them told us the same thing. No one had visited them or ohas ffered any kind of help.
Mahesh’s cart was destroyed
Mahesh ran a fast-food cart by the name ‘Jai Maa Vaishno Chow Mein’. During the violence, his cart was severely damaged. Speaking to OpIndia, he said, “Our father Ashok Kumar was here on the day of the incident. Our cart was overturned. They scattered out belongings. We have the photographs. We are rebuilding the cart with our own money. It is the main source of income for our family. Till now, no one has come forward to meet us or offered help.”
जय मां वैष्णो चाऊमीन सेंटर को पलट दिया
— Rahul Pandey (Journalist) (@STVRahul) April 30, 2022
उसका कुछ सामान उठा लिया और कुछ बिखेर दिया
अशोक कुमार कई वर्षो से इसी ठेले से पालते थे अपना परिवार
जहांगीरपुरी हिंसा के बाद इनके घर हालचाल भी पूछने नहीं गया कोई भी जबकि जमीयत कहीं और बांट रहा मदद व TMC, ओवैसी मिल कर दिखा रहे एकतरफा दर्द pic.twitter.com/fCprKoNL3Z
The cart has been rebuilt by Mahesh himself and he has restarted the food cart to earn his livelihood.
Garg store was robbed, and the owner had to run for his life
A local resident of Kushal Cinema Road spoke to OpIndia on the condition of anonymity. He said, “The rioters robbed Garg grocery store. I witnessed what had happened. A Bengali boy robbed them. The owner ran away to save his life and left the shop open. He hid in the back house. The main gate on that side was closed. Otherwise, they would have followed him. The rioters were inside the streets. No one had come here to take stock of our situation. Perhaps it is too much to expect from politicians.”
उन्मादी भीड़ देख गर्ग स्टोर का मालिक दुकान छोड़ कर जान बचा कर भागा.
— Rahul Pandey (Journalist) (@STVRahul) April 30, 2022
जैसे तैसे एक घर में घुस पाया.
फिर उनकी दुकान को जी भर के लूटा गया.
वो मंजर देखने वाला आज भी इतना डरा है कि अंधेरे में हमसे बात की।
हिंदुओं को दर्द ये है कि मदद सिर्फ एक ही तरफ बंट रही है.@AmitShah@CPDelhi pic.twitter.com/cdKDBEtbVQ
OpIndia team visited the Garg store. We found it was closed, and Police personnel were deployed in front of it.
Gautam Studio and Rohini Clinic
Gautam studio and Rohini Clinic are located close to Kushal Cinema Road. On the day of the incident, the bikes of owners of both establishments were parked outside. Gautam Studio owner had a Yamaha bike, while BL Mathur, the doctor who runs Rohini Clinic, had a scooty. Both the vehicles were ransacked. They closed the shutters when the rioters attacked to save themselves. Speaking to OpIndia, the person at Gautam Studio said no one had approached them to provide any support.
The broken bike of the owner of Gautam Studio was still there. However, the clinic was closed, and its owner’s scooty was removed from the scene.
Son of Dalit family injured, car damaged
Naresh Kumar, a Dalit living in Azadpur, had brought a car after saving money for years. It was damaged by the rioters. “We did not receive any help of any kind. We are getting the car repaired on our own. The attack was made by Muslims. We had no enmity with them. They were attacking from all sides”, he said.
अनुसूचित जाति से आने वाले नरेश कुमार की कार को जहांगीरपुरी हिंसा में तथाकथित शांतिदूतों ने तहस नहस कर दिया।
— Rahul Pandey (Journalist) (@STVRahul) April 30, 2022
उन्होंने जीवन भर की जमापूंजी से इसे खरीदा था…
इनके बेटे पर भी हमला हुआ था।।
इनके भी दरवाजे आज तक कोई हाल चाल पूछने भी न आया..@VHPDigital pic.twitter.com/uJbBL9M97k
He added, “My son was grabbed by the rioters. He was brutally beaten up. We are also bearing the cost of his treatment.”
Panipuri seller’s cart was burnt
While meeting the locals, we noticed a burnt cart close to Naresh’s house. A local named Rakesh Sahu told OpIndia, “I witnessed the riots. The other side started the violence. This cart belonged to a Hindu man who sold panipuri and Tikki. During the violence, the rioters overturned his cart and set it on fire. He had built the cart by taking a loan. He lives in rented accommodation. Around 40-50 Hindu families suffered losses during riots. No one has come to offer any relief to the Hindu side. All the support and relief is going to the Muslims. No one came here to check our condition.”
जला दी गई थी गोलगप्पे वाले की रेहड़ी..
— Rahul Pandey (Journalist) (@STVRahul) April 30, 2022
तब से वो बेरोजगार है..
कर्ज ले कर बनवाया था इसे..
पड़ोसियों ने बताया, “हमारी तरफ कोई क्यों आएगा मदद करने… सबको तो मुस्लिम ही प्रिय हैं”… pic.twitter.com/vUtlLjVrNh
‘Our scooty damaged, our people are being arrested’
Another local resident Mangal said, “My nephew was driving the scooty on the day of the violence. No one knows from where the rioters came from. They beat him up and broke our scooty. We did not receive any help. The most surprising thing is we were the victims, and our people are being arrested by the Police.
जहांगीरपुरी
— Rahul Pandey (Journalist) (@STVRahul) April 30, 2022
हमारे स्कूटी टूटी
हम ही मार खाए
और हमको ही पुलिस भी पकड़ रही…
मदद तो दूर.. कोई मिलने तक नहीं आया..@drskj01 pic.twitter.com/rO1xrzp9Kt
‘Got hit by stones, scooter broken’
Another local, Sanjay Kaushik, said, “I was part of the Shobha Yatra. Suddenly they started pelting stones. I was hit by the stones and got injured. The mob ransacked my scooty. No one has offered any help yet.”
हमारी तो किसी से कोई दुश्मनी भी नहीं
— Rahul Pandey (Journalist) (@STVRahul) April 30, 2022
फिर भी हमारी स्कूटी को तोड़ डाला गया
हमको पत्थर भी मारे गए..
कौशिक परिवार, जहांगीरपुरी pic.twitter.com/A7WQua6EfA
According to locals, the violent mob had entered a wide lane on the road that led to Kushal Cinema. Many vehicles parked there were damaged. People who were on the street at that time were beaten up by the mob. The Police were helpless and could not stop the rioters. OpIndia talked to several other victims who said they suffered loss but refused to talk on camera.
