Delhi Police’s BIG claim, calls it ‘regime-change operation’

In a significant development, the Delhi Police, in its affidavit to the Supreme Court opposing bail of the accused in the conspiracy case, claimed that the 2020 North East riots were a planned ‘regime change operation’. According to the police, the riots were a carefully planned effort to disrupt peace in the country and damage India’s global image, India Today reports.

What are the allegations of Delhi Police in its affidavit to the Supreme Court in the 2020 riots case?

In a rather shocking revelation, the Delhi Police in its affidavit stated that the violence was meticulously planned to destabilize India’s internal harmony. ‘Designed to weaponize public opposition against CAA’ As per India Today reports, Delhi Police said in its affidavit, “The scheme is designed to weaponize public opposition against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and attack the sovereignty and integrity of India.”

Delhi Police stated that the violence was a planned attempt to exploit opposition against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The protests were timed to coincide with former US President Donald Trump’s visit to India, which was aimed at attracting international attention and tarnishing the country’s image. According to the police, the CAA issue was “strategically chosen to fuel radicalization under the guise of peaceful protest”.

The Supreme Court has stayed the Delhi Police as it sought additional time to file counter-affidavits in the bail petitions filed by student activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima and Shifa-ur-Rehman, all accused in a case of “larger conspiracy” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the 2020 Delhi riots. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria made it clear that the matter should not be postponed any further and placed the matter for hearing on Friday, directing the Delhi Police to file their counter-affidavit in the meantime.

Delhi 2020 riot conspiracy case

Delhi Police opposed the bail pleas, saying this was not a case of spontaneous rioting but a case where the riots were “planned well in advance” with “evil aim and a well-thought-out conspiracy”. The Supreme Court had observed that the role of Imam and Khalid in the entire conspiracy was prima facie “serious” as they made inflammatory speeches on communal lines with the aim of “inciting mass mobilization of members of the Muslim community”. They had sought bail from the top court in a larger conspiracy case under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the February 2020 Delhi riots case.

The petitioners challenged the order of the Delhi High Court denying them bail; The court ruled that there was prima facie material to suggest a conspiracy behind the 2020 riots. The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Delhi Police on September 22.

In 2020, Delhi police arrested Imam under UAPA and named him as the main conspirator behind the Delhi riots case. The violence broke out during protests against the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), resulting in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries.

(With input from institutions)