Third shooting incident in Jamia triggers fresh political storm

With Delhi Assembly election round the corner, yet another unknown shooter opened fire outside the Jamia Milia Islamia University on the night of February 2 (Sunday). It was the third such incident reported in four days in the national Capital, as per media reports. 

Two suspects, one of them sporting a red jacket, came on a scooter and opened fire outside Gate No 5, at the Jamia Coordination Committee that was protesting against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act. However, no injury was reported, as per a report by NDTV.

According to Delhi Police, a shot was fired at the university gate, 2 km from Shaheen Bagh, where protesters have set up a tent on the road and have been continuously protesting since the past two months against the CAA.

According to a senior police officer, Jagdish Yadav, an FIR has been lodged against the miscreants and a team is investigating the case by using CCTV footage collected from Gates No 5 and 7. Further details regarding the matter are expected to come soon and prompt action will be taken against the culprits, NDTV report added.

The incident occurred a day after a teen shooter opened fire at Jamia protesters and was heard saying: "Humare desh mein sirf Hinduon ki chalegi aur kisi ki nahi (in our country only Hindus will prevail)." He had allegedly come to the area in an auto.

The first such incident was reported on January 30 (Thursday), when a young man, brandishing a revolver, fired shots while walking towards Shaheen Bagh. He was later arrested by the police.

The shootings have been reported in quick succession after Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister of State for Finance, raised a controversial slogan, "Goli Maaro Sa***n Ko (shoot the traitors)", last week at a Delhi campaign rally.

The BJP minister was consequently banned from campaigning in Delhi for three days after his controversial slogan.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whose ministry the Delhi Police reports to, over the two shooting incidents. 

"What have you done to our Delhi, Amit Shah- ji ? Bullets are being fired in broad daylight... Law and order are being criticised constantly. Elections will come and go, politics will keep happening, but for the sake of the people of Delhi, please focus on fixing law and order," CM Kejriwal tweeted. Amit Shah, in a speech, had blamed the AAP for instigating violence in the capital. 

Hours before the firing outside Jamia University on Sunday night, the Election Commission removed  Chinmoy Biswal, the Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP) of south-east Delhi, from his post after two firing incidents at anti-CAA protest sites. Biswal has been asked to report to the Union Home Ministry.

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