New Delhi: The European Union has called upon the Narendra Modi government to conduct an “independent” inquiry into the role of police for failing to prevent the communal riots in New Delhi in February 2020.
The European Union (EU) appeal comes at a time when Delhi police is being criticised from different circles for its shoddy investigation of the riots.
“It is with great concern that I have been observing the rule of law deteriorate in India, which is the very cornerstone of our special relationship,” Maria Arena, head of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights, in a statement late Monday said according to The EurAsian Times.
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She said India’s marginalized communities, religious minorities, particularly Muslims, civil society and critics of government policies “have been under increasing pressure for a long time.”
“Widespread protests over the proposed citizenship verification process and the discriminatory citizenship law amendments have resulted in arbitrary detentions and an unnecessary loss of life", she said.
"Journalists and other peaceful critics continue to be arrested under draconian counter-terrorism and sedition laws, while human rights defenders are unceasingly and severely targeted by the authorities,” the statement read.
Referring to riots over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on February 23 in which at least 54 people, mostly Muslims, were killed, Arena said the Amnesty International, which has suspended its India operations due to government “witch hunt,” has “unveiled grave human rights violations committed by the Delhi police.”
“In the absence of action by India’s authorities since the outbreak of the violence, I strongly support the call for a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into all human rights violations committed by law enforcement officials,” she said.
“There should also be a fully independent, public and transparent inquiry into the role of the police in failing to prevent the violence that broke out and even aiding it", she added.
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