Delhi violence | Mosque set ablaze in Ashok Nagar, Hanuman flag placed on top: Report

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A mosque in northeast Delhi's Ashok Nagar was burnt down on February 25 amid violence over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), The Wire reported.

A mob chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Hinduon ka Hindustan' (Hindustan for Hindus) slogans was seen around the burning mosque, the report stated.

A 'Hanuman flag' (a flag dedicated to Lord Hanuman) was placed on top of the structure by a member of the mob, it said citing video footage that emerged on Twitter. The footage shows the person trying to pull down a section of the minaret but was unsuccessful.

Re-posting this video after verifying its authenticity. It is from Delhi. Men marching on top of a mosque, vandalising it and placing a saffron flag over it. pic.twitter.com/bScgJMxKc3

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) February 25, 2020

Miscreants also looted shops within and around the mosque’s compound. Residents of the area, which are predominantly Hindu with a few Muslim families, told the publication that those looting the shops were not from the locality.

Firefighters had reached the site, but police personnel could not be seen in the locality, said the report.

Residents alleged that police had removed members of the Muslim community from the locality, the report added.

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The violence, which started on February 23 after anti-CAA protests blocked a road outside Jaffrabad Metro station and BJP leader Kapil Mishra called a gathering in favour of CAA, intensified on February 25, taking the death toll to 13 as police struggled to check rioters who ran amok on streets, burning and looting shops, pelting stones and thrashing people.

Over 200 people, including 48 police personnel, have been injured. Half of the civilian casualties show gunshot wounds, hospital authorities said.