Affidavit says violence aimed to destabilise constitutional order
In a significant development, the Delhi Police is preparing to submit an affidavit before the Supreme Court naming former JNU student leaders Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam as the alleged “masterminds” behind the 2020 Delhi riots. The police describe the violence as a “coordinated regime change operation” allegedly backed by international elements.
The affidavit reportedly claims that the violence was part of a pre-planned conspiracy aimed at destabilising India’s sovereignty under the guise of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). It alleges that Khalid and Imam used the anti-CAA demonstrations as a cover to incite large-scale unrest and riots across the country.
According to the affidavit, the conspiracy was timed to coincide with the visit of then-US President Donald Trump to India in February 2020, aiming to attract global media attention and “embarrass the Indian government on the international stage.”
The CAA, it says, was “deliberately chosen as a radicalising catalyst,” cloaked in the rhetoric of peaceful protest to hide a larger destabilisation agenda.
The violence that erupted in northeast Delhi claimed 53 lives and caused widespread destruction to public and private property. A total of 753 FIRs were registered in connection with the riots.
The Delhi Police has further alleged that the accused received “international support,” describing the events as part of broader “regime change operations” — a term used globally for orchestrated attempts to destabilise governments through coordinated protests and propaganda.
No bail for the accused
Based on these findings, the Delhi Police has opposed the bail pleas of both Khalid and Imam, asserting that their actions went far beyond the bounds of civil protest. Instead, the affidavit claims, the accused attempted to “overthrow the constitutional order through violence and manipulation.”
The affidavit concludes that the riots were “not spontaneous but systematic,” with detailed logistical coordination, funding channels, and strategic timing — pointing, it says, to an organised attempt to incite rebellion under the guise of dissent.
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