In a striking escalation of its stand on the 2020 Delhi riots, the Delhi Police have termed the violence not as a spontaneous outburst of public anger but as part of an orchestrated regime change operation. The claim, made in a 177-page affidavit by the Delhi Police before the Supreme Court, represents one of the strongest official assertions yet about the alleged political and ideological motivations behind the riots.

The affidavit is in response to the bail pleas of student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who have been in prison for over five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Along with them, activists Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider are also among those accused of conspiring to instigate the violence.

Deep-rooted conspiracy and coordinated unrest

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