Women Used As Cover During Delhi Riots, Claims Police

Were the women protesters at the anti-CAA protest sites such as Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia Islamia paid daily wages to participate in the protests? Were those who paid them the masterminds of the North-East Delhi riots of February 2020?

Yes, says the Delhi police, which argues that the women were used by the protesters to provide a gender cover and media cover to them. The police chargesheet also says that Shifa-ur-Rehman, who is the president of the Jamia Alumni Association collected money and funded the protests by providing wages to woman protesters, arranging for logistics such as mikes, posters and banners.

The police also argued that the 2019 violence in the Jamia Millia University was a precursor to the North East Delhi riots that left 53 dead. The police said that the planners had deliberately avoided places like Jamia and Shaheen Bagh to provide a secular facade to these protests. The police also said that organizations like the Delhi Protests Solidarity Group and Pinjra Tod were used as cover for providing a tactical female shield to the protests.