Along with numerous other politicians, former Union minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has been named in the Delhi riots chargesheet. He has been accused of delivering provocative speeches during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The chargesheet quoted the name of a witness who alleged that big name politicians like politician Udit Raj, Khurshid and CPI(M)’s Brinda Karat had come to the Khureji protest site and given “provocative speeches”.
Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.
Earlier, the Delhi Police has named CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh and Delhi University professor Apoorvanand in a supplementary chargesheet in the February riots cases, accusing them of “provoking and mobilising” anti-CAA protesters. Some of those named have also been charged with—based on the statements of three students already arrested in the case—asking the protesters to go to “any extreme”, spreading “discontent” in the community by calling CAA/NRC anti-Muslim, and organising demonstrations to “malign the image of the government of India”.
The chargesheet mentions Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Ravan, United Against Hate activist Umar Khalid and some leaders from the Muslim community including ex-MLA Mateen Ahmed, and MLA Amannatullah Khan. The document, quoting statements of those arrested, indicated that these people aided the conspirators.