As Delhi heads to polls on February 5, political tensions are escalating with the BJP nominating Kapil Mishra for the Karawal Nagar seat. Mishra is infamous for his controversial role in the 2020 Delhi riots, where his inflammatory speeches allegedly played a critical role in sparking violence. The northeast Delhi pogrom left 53 people dead, primarily from the Muslim community, and devastated the region. Mishra, addressing a gathering in Maujpur on February 23, 2020, issued an ultimatum to the Delhi Police to remove anti-CAA protesters within three days, threatening consequences otherwise. His speech, delivered in the presence of senior police officials, reportedly incited mobs to carry out acts of violence.
The nomination of Mishra has triggered outrage among many in the area. A fact-finding committee report from July 2020 linked the riots directly to Mishra’s speeches, revealing that mobs armed with weapons, stones, and petrol bombs launched attacks almost immediately after his remarks. Critics argue that the BJP’s decision to field Mishra is a calculated move to consolidate Hindu votes in Karawal Nagar, a Hindu-majority constituency that was significantly affected during the violence. Local residents, still haunted by the memories of 2020, have expressed anger over the BJP’s choice, with some vowing to voice their dissent at the ballot box.
Before joining the BJP, Mishra had a contentious stint with the AAP, winning the Karawal Nagar seat in 2015 and serving as Delhi’s water resources minister. However, he was dismissed from the cabinet in 2017 over allegations of corruption and later disqualified as an MLA in 2019 for defection. Mishra’s political journey has been marked by controversy, from being banned by the Election Commission in 2020 for communal remarks to his appointment as Vice President of the Delhi BJP in 2023. As opposition parties consider candidates like AIMIM’s Ishrat Jahan to contest against him, the upcoming elections in Karawal Nagar are shaping up to be a closely watched and fiercely contested battle.
