Amit Shah also told LS on Wednesday that the authorities used facial recognition from Voter ID cards, driver licences, and other databases.
New Delhi| Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday hailed the Delhi Police’s role in the communal riots in the national capital last month, saying they did a great job in restraining the riots to a few districts of Northeast Delhi and in bringing the situation under control in 36 hours.
The police had come under criticism for their alleged inaction during the riots from February 24-26.
Shah said prima facie the violence appears to be a pre-planned conspiracy. He said no incident of rioting was reported after February 25.
The BJP leader said initial investigations had found that 300 rioters had come to Northeast Delhi from outside.
“I am not undermining what happened in those 36 hours but I would like to praise the Delhi Police for bringing the situation under control in 36 hours and for preventing it from spreading further,” Shah said, adding that enough police and paramilitary forces had been rushed to the affected areas soon after the first reports of violence were received on February 24 at 2 pm until the last distress call was made on February 25 at 11 pm.
At a time when the Personal Data Protection Bill is being examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the authorities used facial recognition from Voter ID cards, driver licences, and other databases to identify that 300 people involved in the Delhi riots came from Uttar Pradesh.
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Facial data is categorised as “sensitive personal data” under the current draft of the Personal Data Protection Bill. Significant changes to state powers were made by IT Ministry from a previous draft by Justice B N Srikrishna committee. The current draft states that the Centre can allow any agency to process personal data as long as it is “satisfied that it is necessary or expedient” for purposes such as “preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence”.
Shah expressed sorrow for the families of those who died in the recent violence, which has claimed the lives of more than 50 people.
The Indian Express reported in December that Delhi Police had acquired Automated Facial Recognition Software from Innefu Lab in March 2018 to identify missing children, but was now using the technology to identify protesters.
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