– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: CPM leader Brinda Karat said the 2020 Northeast Delhi violence was not a riot but a “one-sided attack” on minorities. She stressed that justice remains elusive, and victims have not received proper compensation.
Speaking at a public meeting in Mustafabad, she said, “Seventy-six per cent of those killed were from the minority community, and 80 per cent of property damage was theirs. Despite 751 FIRs, most arrests targeted victims, not the attackers.”
The CPM Delhi unit organized the event to mark five years since the violence and to demand justice for victims. Karat stated, “We are here to support the victims, not reopen wounds. Those responsible sit in the cabinet, while victims still await justice. The CPM stood with you then and stands with you today.”
She criticized the flawed compensation process, citing Ramsugarat’s case, where his children initially received half the compensation. The CPM fought the case, won in court, and secured full compensation.
The violence from February 23-26, 2020, left 53 dead and many injured after protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Karat praised the resilience of women who continued caring for their families despite losing loved ones.
She reaffirmed CPM’s support for those defending the Constitution and opposing CAA. “We demand the immediate release of students jailed under false charges,” she added.
At the meeting, scholarships were awarded to affected children. CPM Delhi Secretary Anurag Saxena and others also spoke.
