Petrol bombs, bullets, stones rain down on Delhi’s Maujpur

New Delhi: The Maujpur-Babarpur metro station has become a battle ground with rival groups pelting each other with stones and throwing petrol bombs with bullets being fired intermittently.

As the day wore on, the ambulances were frequently seen transporting the injured.

Helmets are in huge demand as stone pelting from both sides is incessant. Armed with iron and wooden rods, the rioters let out a “war cry” when a projectile hits someone in the rival camp.

Policemen continue to fire tear gas shells even as rioters cover their faces with wet handkerchiefs.

A small bridge over a drain is the only link between both sides.

Journalists covering the violence are heckled and forced to delete pictures or videos.

Glass bottles, a piece of cloth and petrol are just the things they need to make a petrol bomb.

Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar, who is leading his force, told IANS, “The situation is tense. We are trying to bring it under control.”

But the “war cries” echo across the area as Kumar tells his men to fire tear gas shells and protect themselves from petrol bombs and bullets. He himself ducked as stones were flung towards him.

On Tuesday afternoon, stone-throwing was reported from Kardampuri area near the Maujpur metro station area.

Locals claimed that four bullets were fired by an unidentified person in which a person was injured and taken to a hospital.

A journalist covering the protest got a bullet injury. He was shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

At Maujpur metro station, a large number of people carrying the Tricolour and sticks have gathered to protest against those sitting near the Jaffarabad metro station over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The protest over the CAA and the NRC started on Saturday night when women protesters staged a sit-in near the metro station.

IANS