The Congress has demanded the resignation of Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lieutenant General of Delhi Najeeb Jung over the recent violence in the Trilokpuri area of Delhi.

Trilokpuri witnessed riots and communal tension last week following a petty altercation between some Dalits and Muslims on Diwali evening.

The Congress alleged that Rajnath and Jung were inactive and soft towards the perpetuators of violence despite intelligence agencies giving prior information about possible violence in the area.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said there was a pattern in the violence. “We are very sad but very forthright in asking why is this pattern, this repetition, this systemic pattern occurring before elections in so many parts of the country with monotonous regularity, especially in the last five months or so. We condemn this, we want to tell the nation that what is happening is a combination of subtle imagery of hidden symbolism, of innuendo, of insinuation, of provocation all this is made into a cocktail to create a surcharged atmosphere,” he said.

Singhvi further said the “violence” pattern used across the country is unmistakable. “It is deplorable, it is condemnable and it is especially condemnable because it is under the nose of the Central Government, the Home Minister and the Prime Minster. And Delhi, as you know, remains in suspended animation,” he said.

He questioned the role of former BJP MLA Sunil Kumar Vaidya in the incident. “At the minimum an impartial, independent enquiry by an unconnected third entity is necessary. What is the role of Sunil Kumar Vaidya needs to be answered.

“Why this blame game and back-forth transfer of allegations about advance information supposedly given by the Central Government to Delhi Police, and either not acted upon or not received, according to the letter?” he asked.

He added that the AAP MLAs from the area were silent about the happenings in Trilokpuri.

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