'...To Strike At Sovereignty & Integrity Of India': Delhi Police Calls 2020 Riots Part Of 'Regime Change Operation' In Supreme Court Affidavit

New Delhi: In a shocking revelation in the 2020 Delhi riots case, the violence was part of a conspiracy aimed at "regime change". The revelations were made in a 177-page affidavit filed by the Delhi Police in the Supreme Court challenging bail pleas filed by accused, including Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, reported News18, citing sources. The police stated that the riots were not spontaneous and were planned in advance.

The police presented technical evidence to support their claims. “The plan was designed to weaponise public dissent against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and strike at the sovereignty and integrity of India," the affidavit stated as quoted by the media house.

The police termed the violence as “organised and calibrated". The force stated that it was not an isolated incident but similar patterns followed in other states, including Karnataka, Kerala, and Assam.

The Delhi Police alleged that the accused in the case were abusing the judicial process by filing “frivolous applications" and were delaying the court proceedings through coordinated tactics. The Supreme Court has not yet examined the Affidavit filed by the Delhi Police.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Advocates Rajat Nair and Dhruv Pande represented the Delhi Police. Notably, the Supreme Court on Monday had refused to give two weeks to Delhi Police for filing its reply on bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider in the UAPA case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi.

The riots is Delhi took place in 2020 during the protest over the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Over 50 people reportedly lost their lives, while hundreds of people were injured in the violence.

Khalid, Imam, and the rest of the accused persons were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the erstwhile IPC for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots in Delhi.

news