Firing at Shaheen Bagh, gunman shouts 'Hindu Rashtra zindabad'

Two days after a firing incident triggered panic among anti-citizenship law protesters in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar, a man on Saturday (February 1) opened fire in the city’s Shaheen Bagh area while shouting, “Hindu Rashtra zindabad”. However, no injuries were reported and the man was immediately taken into custody.

No one was injured in the incident which occurred at around 5 pm. The man identified himself as Kapil Gujjar, a resident of Dallupura village near Noida border. Reports suggest he fired two rounds before he was overpowered by the police and his weapon has been seized.

“The accused fired in air near police barricades. He was overpowered by police personnel and taken into custody. Further investigation is on,” said Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) said.

Eyewitnesses said the man opened fire close to the police barricades, nearly 250 metres behind the stage. He shouted “Hindu Rashtra Zindabad” and fired two rounds. The incident comes days after a local contractor armed with a gun had come to the site and asked people to end the protest.

“Only Hindus will get to call the shots in our country and nobody else (Hamare desh mein sirf Hinduon ki chalegi. Aur kisi ki nahi chalegi),” the man shouted while he was being taken into custody. Police said they are verifying his identity.

Abu Ala Suhani, a publisher and resident of Shaheen Bagh said, “The man appeared be in his 20s and fired two rounds. While he was being taken into custody, we heard a policeman asking him his name. The man said his name was Kapil Gujjar and he belongs to Dallupura village in Uttar Pradesh.”

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This is the second time this week that an armed man has entered the site where the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has been going on since over a month. On Thursday, a youth had fired on anti-CAA protesters at Jamia Millia Islamia injuring a student.

Soon after the incident, the Congress, in a veiled attack on the BJP, said the shooter has changed but the ideology pulling the trigger in 1948 or 2020 has remained the same.

“Shooter changes but ideology pulling the trigger either in 1948 (Nathuram Godse) or 2020 remains the same ‘goli maro’ — Hands which should be pulling India’s growth are now firing guns. Instead of ‘Make in India’, focus is on ‘spreading hate in India’,” said Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill.

(With inputs from agencies)