New Delhi: Communal violence in parts of the national capital during US President Donald Trump's visit to the country was "intriguing and mysterious", Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said on Friday and hoped that the probe ordered by the government would bring out the truth.
Bedi, who was a 1975-batch IPS officer of AGMUT cadre and served in various capacities in Delhi, told PTI over phone that such large-scale violence and arson when the country was hosting an important dignitary such as Trump was "too much of a coincidence".
"The visit had a lot of potential to strength the country's economy. More economy means more wealth, jobs, industries and prosperity. The violence happened at the time when India was being lauded by the world's most powerful country. Any true lover of the country would have never done this," she said.
"One can have grouse (against the amended Citizenship Act). But the timing of the protest and the subsequent violence is very intriguing and mysterious," Bedi said.
Forty-two people have so far died in the communal clashes that had broken out in northeast Delhi five days ago after violence between anti- and pro-Citizenship (Amendment) Act groups spiralled out of control.
Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at local residents and police personnel. Bhajanpura, Maujpur, Jafrabad, Gokalpuri, Shiv Vihar, Mustafabad, among other localities in the region were the worst-hit.
The Puducherry L-G also claimed that the communal violence in northeast Delhi undermined international media coverage of Trump's visit to the country.
According to her, another point of "intrigue" was the recent "media expose" about presence of a molotov cocktails, stones and bottles of acid on the roof of the house of a "functionary".
"The kind of evidence which is surfacing from a functionary's rooftop points to a serious conspiracy. These kind of evidence obviously links the issue with the "mystery" of violence during Trump's visit," Bedi said.
Asked whether the Delhi Police and intelligence agencies failed in anticipating the violence, the Ramon Magsaysay awardee said the probe would bring out the truth.
"Obviously such riots cannot happen unless there is a failure on someone's part. There was failure by the police. But who were responsible for it and where it failed — all these will come out in the probe which has already been ordered," she said.
About some senior Delhi police officers who failed to visit the areas to contain the violence, Bedi said, "It is for the higher authorities to look into and take appropriate action".
She expressed happiness over 1985-batch IPS officer S N Shrivastava, who was trained by her when he was an IPS probationer in 1986-87 in North Delhi and she was DCP (North) then, has been selected for the post of Delhi police chief.
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