Kapil Mishra says he’s being questioned instead of those talking of dividing country

New Delhi, February 27

BJP politician Kapil Mishra, accused of making hate speech before communal violence unfolded in northeast Delhi this week, on Thursday said he was being questioned for urging anti-CAA protesters to clear road blockades while those talking of “dividing” the country were not.

Mishra, in the spotlight for his incendiary remarks calling for forceful removal of citizenship law protesters last week, made the comment as he carried out a “peace march” from Jantar Mantar to Delhi Police headquarters, even as a TV channel journalist was heckled during the event allegedly by his supporters.

The former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, who unsuccessfully contested the recent Delhi Assembly election from Model Town on a BJP ticket, blamed the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests for the large-scale violence in northeast Delhi.

“We are here to pay homage to martyrs Ratan Lal, a policeman, and Ankit Sharma, an Intelligence Bureau staffer, and besides those who became victims of a jihadi violence,” Mishra told reporters.

“We have been witnessing these vulgar protests for over 70 days now in which some big politicians and so-called activists are involved which are flaming feelings against the police and the defence forces. The violence in the name of anti-CAA protests which has spread in Delhi and elsewhere in the country should come to an end, it has gone too far now,” he added.

At least 38 people have lost their lives and more than 200 injured in the violence that unfolded in Maujpur, Jafrabad, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Shiv Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh, Ghonda, among other areas in northeast Delhi from Sunday.

A Bench of Delhi High Court headed by Justice S Muralidhar had on Wednesday expressed “anguish” over Delhi Police’s failure to register FIRs against alleged hate speeches by BJP leaders—Parvesh Verma, Mishra and Anurag Thakur.

“I want to ask how long this would continue in this country that those who talk about dividing the country are not asked any questions. No one is questioning those whose terraces are found stocked with petrol bombs, rocks, other weapons. On the other hand, somebody who only requested for clearing roads because it was causing inconvenience to 35 lakh people in Delhi is being called a terrorist, a villain,” Mishra said, referring to AAP councillor Imran Hussain and himself.

Meanwhile, a reporter of TV news channel Times Now was assaulted by Mishra’s supporters during the event, with purported videos of the incident surfacing on social media.

Parvina Purkayastha, the reporter, claimed she had asked Mishra a question about the speech he made but his supporters tried to stop her and one woman snatched her mic, kicked and injured her. — PTI