At least seven people including a Delhi Police Head Constable have died in the violent clashes that initially started as minor incidents of stone-pelting between pro and anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Sunday, soon swept the north-east Delhi.

Since the new citizenship law was passed in December, several protests have been organised across the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leaders have not just continuously questioned the motives of the protesters but have also made communal and incendiary remarks against them, and yet no action has been initiated against them.

In the case of the northeast Delhi violence, tensions began with incidents of stone-pelting on Sunday, February 23, following a rally by BJP leader Kapil Mishra to oppose the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the area.

At the rally, Mishra even issued a three-day ultimatum to the Delhi police to clear the area and said that after the ultimatum, he would not listen to the police. At the protest site, he can be heard saying, ‘We will be peaceful till (Donald) Trump leaves. After that, we won’t listen to even you if the roads are not cleared.’

He added that if in three days, the roads are not cleared ‘We will have to hit the streets.’

दिल्ली पुलिस को तीन दिन का अल्टीमेटम – जाफराबाद और चांद बाग की सड़कें खाली करवाइए इसके बाद हमें मत समझाइयेगा , हम आपकी भी नहीं सुनेंगे, सिर्फ तीन दिन@DelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/9ozTazMZew

— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) February 23, 2020

In light of the violence, many have called out Mishra for instigating violence. Indian National Congress spokesperson Sharmishtha Mukherjee asked LG Anil Baijal to arrest Mishra for inciting violence.

Sir, to begin with please instruct @DelhiPolice to arrest @KapilMishra_IND for inciting violence. Would also like to ask @PMOIndia & Shri @AmitShah whether having riots in the capital city is a good way of ‘showcasing’ India to visiting foreign dignitaries? https://t.co/ZBN6fbzEMT

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 24, 2020

However, this is not the first time that Kapil Mishra has garnered media attention for his communal remarks. At a pro-CAA rally on December 21 last year, he chanted ‘Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro salo ko(shoot the traitors)’

Later on January 24, 2020, ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, Mishra equated the polls to an ‘India versus Pakistan contest’ and in a tweet said, ‘India vs Pakistan 8th February Delhi. There will a contest on Delhi Roads between India and Pakistan on February 8’.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝘃𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 8𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗵𝗶 8 फरवरी को दिल्ली की सड़कों पर हिंदुस्तान और पाकिस्तान का मुकाबला होगा

— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) January 23, 2020

Another tweet read: ‘Pakistan has already entered Shaheen Bagh and small pockets of Pakistan are being created in Delhi.’

Alarmingly, Mishra is only one among a line-up of BJP leaders who have made communal remarks in the recent past. And when it comes to the accountability of people in power, surprisingly, their speeches aren’t offensive enough to attract any action.

BJP Leaders’ Continued Incendiary Statements

On January 27, BJP leader and Minister of State for Finance, Anurag Thakur, encouraged the audience at a rally in Delhi’s Daryaganj to shout the same incendiary slogan. In the video of the incident shared online, the minister can be seen asking his supporters to chant ‘desh ke gaddaron ko…’

Just a day after the incident, BJP MP from West Delhi constituency, Parvesh Verma, said that if the prevailing situation at Shaheen Bagh continued, the protesters would enter their homes and rape women.

#WATCH: BJP MP Parvesh Verma says, ‘…Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think & take a decision. They’ll enter your houses, rape your sisters&daughters, kill them. There’s time today, Modi ji & Amit Shah won’t come to save you tomorrow…’ pic.twitter.com/1G801z5ZbM

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2020

Close on the heels of these remarks, the same day; an armed man entered the protest site at Shaheen Bagh and threatened the anti-CAA agitators. However, he was overpowered by the protesters.

BJP’s national secretary Tarun Chugh on January 29 said that the protesters are using ISIS-like module and referred to Shaheen Bhag as ‘Shaitaan Bagh’ (devil’s place). He added that the slogan ‘Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro…. (shoot the traitors of the country)’ was not wrong.

#DeshKeGaddaronKoGoliMaaroSaalonKo गलत नहीं है।भारत की अखंडता को किसी को भी तोड़ने नहीं देंगे है।शाहीन बाग के मतलब शैतान बाग है।जैसे ISIS ने महिलाओं,बच्चों का इस्तेमाल किया है ये भी उसी मॉड्यूल को अपना रहे हैं।भारत में हाफ़िज़ सईद के विचारों को बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जाएगा। @ZeeNews

— Tarun Chugh (@tarunchughbjp) January 29, 2020

On January 31, a youth fired two rounds at protesters outside Jamia Millia Islamia, injuring one student. On February 1, a man named Kapil Baisala opened fire at Shaheen Bagh protest area.

Later, unabated by the gun violence that had occurred in the country, Uttar Pradesh Chief …