About Delhi riots in which reportedly ~ 38 have been killed and over 300 injured ‘The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’  (USCIRF) has issued a press release  that – “As President Donald Trump’s inaugural visit to India winds down, northeastern Delhi has been rocked by deadly rioting, with reports of violence and mobs specifically targeting Muslims. According to reports, several mosques have also been set alight or vandalized. Many Muslim residents have been forced to flee the area. This unrest comes in the wake of widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The reported attacks against Muslims, their homes and shops, and their houses of worship are greatly disturbing” (https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/press-releases-statements/uscirf-condemns-violence-in-india-s-capital-city)

The USCIRF in its 2019 Annual Report classified India as a “Tier 2” country as a “country of particular concern” but it did not stop Delhi violence mainly against Muslims. Hence this February 26 Press Release will also not be of any help unless the USCIRF gets Supreme Court of India (SCI) moved for investigating these Delhi riots in view of Prez Trump’s visit to India as explained below: -

(1)- Whatever people may say in media that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shat (who is responsible for law & order in Delhi) are trying to replicate Gujrat model in Delhi (alluding to 2002 Gujrat massacre of thousands of innocent mostly Muslims under their watch) but it is a matter of common sense that Modi & Shah are not such naïve that they will risk such riots in Delhi when Prez Trump is in Delhi.

(2)- This means that Delhi riots have happened not because of Modi & Shah but despite them. The only explanation for this is that the Delhi Police and law & order administration and the ruling BJP is under influence of some power behind the scene which audaciously engineered these riots. This power is of course Hindutva forces (RSS, VHP etc) which are now further emboldened due to (i)- SCI award of Babri Masjid site to them who demolished it in 1992 in the presence of the observer of SCI (ii)- The way SCI is not listening various petitions about Kashmir where practically entire main stream politicians are imprisoned and human rights of the people of J&K are denied to them specially since August 5, 2019 when Article 370 & 35-A were amended and repealed and State of J&K was illegally bifurcated into two Union Territories.

(3)- This apprehension (of strangulating hold of Hindutva forces on BJP led government) is further strengthened because as per media panel discussions some duty-conscious Police officers of Ghaziabad (of neighboring State of U.P. where a Hindu religious leader Yogi Adityanath is the Chief Minister) had already informed the Delhi Police before riots that the armed miscreates from Ghaziabad were going to Delhi.

(4)- The SCI had already taken cognizance of the anti-CAA protests (allowed under constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression) and the inconvenience to the people due to road blocks as reported at https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-are-the-3-mediators-appointed-by-supreme-court-to-talk-to-shaheen-bagh-protesters/story-6lz5DkcsQUlrJjcSimF6PJ.html  and   https://www.siasat.com/shaheen-bagh-hearing-adjourned-sc-takes-note-delhi-police-1838649/  . Under Article 144 of the Constitution of India, “all authorities, civil and judicial, in the territory of India shall act in aid of the Supreme Court”. Hence when the SCI is already seized of the matter then Delhi police allowing some miscreants to instigate & trigger riots in Delhi (on the issue of roadblocks due to anti-CAA protest), is not only criminal dereliction of duty (rather complicity through acts of omission) but also an effrontery to SCI.

(5)- The USCIRF should ask its Commissioner Anurima Bhargava (who worked in India assisting women elected to local government, hence has connections in India) to get some in India to file a writ petition in SCI with prayers: -

(i)- The SCI should immediately constitute ‘Special Investigation Team’ (SIT) under sitting Judge of SCI to investigate these Delhi riots.

(ii)- This SIT, in addition to other points & issues, should specifically investigate as to which are the forces who paralyzed the government of India (especially its Home Ministry) and Delhi police to the extent that despite all the visible (where stones were openly brought in Delhi in tractor trollies for these riots) and intelligence reports, no worth mentioning measures were taken to stop these riots especially when the leader of most important country the US president Trump was in Delhi.

 (iii)- The SCI should issue appropriate orders so that such non-State actors (like Hindutva forces) are in future not in a position to paralyze the administration & police under BJP led governments.

 It is hoped that instead of merely giving lip service to beleaguered Muslims & to the cause of religious freedom, the USCIRF will get the SCI moved regarding Delhi riots, especially at the time of Prez Trump’s presence in Delhi.