'Shoot the traitors' chants raised on Delhi Metro

Pro-Citizenship Amendment Act sloganeering and incendiary chants of 'shoot the traitors' were made inside a train on Delhi Metro's Blue Line and also at the Rajiv Chowk Metro Station in Delhi on Saturday by a group of young men.

The five-six men, wearing saffron T-shirts and kurta, started the sloganeering when the train was about to halt at the metro station, according to a PTI reporter who was at the spot.

After de-boarding the train, they continued chanting pro-CAA and provocative slogans like 'shoot the traitors' and one more literally meaning that the 'youth of the country is out to support and defend CAA'.

While some commuters joined the CAA supporters in their sloganeering, others were quick to get their cameras out to make videos.

Many at the station were seemingly taken aback by the spontaneity and the unusual choice of the venue.

The Central Industrial Security Force personnel, responsible for the security of the Delhi Metro, intercepted the protesters and handed them over to the Delhi Police.

'On February 29, at about 10.25 hours, six youths were seen shouting slogans at Rajiv Chowk metro station, Delhi. They were immediately intercepted by CISF personnel & thereafter handed over to Delhi Metro Rail Police officials for further action. Metro Rail operation remained,' the CISF said in a statement.

A senior CISF official said the youths were raising pro-CAA slogans.

DCP (Metro) Vikram Porwal said, "We have detained six men and they are being questioned".

A video of the sloganeering has gone viral on social media.

Anuj Dayal, Executive Director, Corporate Communications of DMRC, said, "In reference to a video clip going viral on social media, showing sloganeering by some passengers at Rajiv Chowk Metro station, it is to state that this incident happened today morning at the station and DMRC/CISF staff immediately handed them over to the Delhi Metro Rail Police for further necessary action."

Under Delhi Metro (Operation and Maintenance) Act 2002, any kind of demonstration or nuisance is prohibited in Delhi metro premises. Any passenger indulging in such act is liable to be removed from the Metro premises, according to the Act.

Incidentally, there was a 'peace march' organised at the Jantar Mantar against 'jihadi terrorism' in northeast Delhi, which was attended by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra who had allegedly made provocative statements on Sunday before the riots broke out in the national capital this week, during which too some people raised slogans of 'shoot the traitors'.

Mishra did not join the sloganeering or address the gathering during the 'peace march' organised by NGO Delhi Peace Forum from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street police station.

At Jantar Mantar, slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' were raised as hundreds of people gathered holding the tricolour.

Some of the victims and families of those who lost their lives in the violence in northeast Delhi narrated their ordeal.

When the march passed through Connaught Place, slogans of 'shoot the traitors' were raised.

The organisers paid tributes to Head Constable Ratan Lal and IB staffer Ankit Sharma, who were killed during the violence that has claimed 42 lives till now.

Suresh Kumar said his brother Dinesh Kumar Khatik was shot when he had gone to see whether shops were open on February 25.

"He was shot near Shiv Vihar puliya where petrol bombs were also used. I found him at GTB Hospital where he was on ventilator support. The next day he succumbed to injuries. He is survived by two children, a one-year-old and a seven-year-old," he said.

Alok Tiwari was shot in the head while he was returning home on Tuesday from the Karawal Nagar factory where he worked, his brother-in-law Sumit said.

"His fault was that he had just stopped to see whether he could buy fruits for children. My sister got to know that he had been attacked and with the help of neighbours he was taken to hospital where he succumbed to injuries the next day.

"He leaves behind a four-year-old son and a nine-year-old daughter. The children keep asking about their father but we do not know how to face them," he said.

Other speakers at the event alleged that the communal violence was "well-planned" and was aimed to 'target the Hindus'.

Lt General Kohli, one of the speakers, said, "This is being done to discredit police and down their morale. We have made police punching bags. We have to be alert citizens and expose those amid us who are responsible for such attacks."

BJP leader Mishra did not address the gathering though he earlier posted a tweet asking the people to join the protest at Jantar Mantar.

He also posted videos of the march and said: 'No matter how much falsehood you spread, the people know the truth'.

Facing allegations of making provocative speeches, Mishra has maintained that he did nothing wrong and had only demanded that the roads be cleared of anti-CAA protesters.

Lt Gen Vijay Chaturvedi also termed the violence as a 'well-planned' conspiracy and said those who were involved were well-trained and equipped to use molotov cocktails.

"This was specially carried out during US President Donald Trump's visit," he said.