DMK demands judicial probe into Delhi riots

DMK leader and Member of Parliament T.R. Balu on Wednesday demanded a judicial inquiry by a committee headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court into the riots that rocked several localities of noth-east Delhi in the last week of February.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on Delhi riots, Balu said the February 24 violence in north-east Delhi was triggered by BJP leader Kapil Mishra's statements.

Stating that the Delhi Police had entered Jamia Millia Islamia campus without permission and assaulted the students, Balu said the ABVP caused trouble in JNU on January 5, while Delhi Police stood by and watched. The former Union minister said students, minorities and the judiciary are under attack.

Balu said the Prime Minister and the Home Minister should personally reach out to the riot victims to instil confidence in them. He demanded that damaged schools and madrasas in riot-affected areas of Delhi should be repaired and compensation paid to the victims.

The Lok Sabha discussion on the Delhi riots began on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary and the BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi spoke at length on the issue. IANS