Breaking down Delhi anti-Hindu Riot bail hearing in SC: Prosecution argument on how it was a regime change operation, videos of Sharjeel Imam’s speeches, rioters mobilising and more
https://www.opindia.com/2025/11/delhi-a ... arguments/
Appearing on behalf of the State, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju has done two things at once. First, he has disproved the popular narrative that the accused are innocent "activists" or "intellectuals" who have been wronged because of their political beliefs and second, he used speeches, WhatsApp conversations, and timelines to show that there is evidence of a larger plan to paralyze the capital, internationalize the unrest during the Trump visit, and, in their words, even attempting a "regime change operation."
Hearing recap: Prosecution presents two videos, comprehensive arguments on how Delhi anti-Hindu Riots was a regime change operation by Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and other accused
The prosecution has in the Supreme Court so far methodically argued that the violence in February 2020 was the result of a well-thought-out conspiracy rather than an out-of-control protest.
Appearing on behalf of the State, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju has done two things at once. First, he has disproved the popular narrative that the accused are innocent “activists” or “intellectuals” who have been wronged because of their political beliefs and second, he used speeches, WhatsApp conversations, and timelines to show that there is evidence of a larger plan to paralyze the capital, internationalize the unrest during the Trump visit, and, in their words, even attempting a “regime change operation.”
Sharjeel Imam’s speeches and the conspiracy’s larger ideological framing were the main topics of discussion during the hearing on 20th November (Thursday). Before the Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, ASG Raju played a number of clips in which the Imam is heard discussing a national “chakka jam” intended to choke Delhi and target the vital Siliguri corridor, also known as the “chicken neck,” which connects the North-East to the Indian mainland.
The video which was played in the Supreme Court by the prosecution was released exclusively by OpIndia.
The prosecution argued accuraptely and exposed how the rhetoric extends far beyond the scope of civil disobedience. Imam, who is trained as an engineer, is heard urging supporters to block important routes so that “Delhi should not get milk” and that the North-East could be cut off by seizing control of a 16 kilometer stretch. He also incorporates the repeal of Article 370, the Ayodhya ruling, and the Triple Talaq law to make the case that Muslims had not mobilized sufficiently in the past and should now take advantage of the CAA’s opportunity to launch a decisive confrontation.
The WhatsApp evidence also plays a role in this. The ASG guided the Bench through communications and group structures, including the Delhi Protest Support Group, the Muslim Students of JNU (MSJ), the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), and other relevant discussions. According to the State, they were coordination centers rather than informal student forums where conversations about fundraising, repairing protest locations, coordinating chakka jams, and influencing media narratives took place. According to ASG Raju, the chats, when read in conjunction with speeches and on-the-ground events, demonstrate that the petitioners and their associates were organizers and architects rather than passive participants. They used closed-door, encrypted channels to plan a nationwide escalation that would coincide with the visit of then US President Donald Trump to Delhi.
From their point of view, the term “regime change operation” that appears in the Delhi Police’s affidavit accurately describes what the communications reveal as the ultimate goal, which is to undermine the elected government by rendering the capital unmanageable and portraying India as a burning nation abroad.
OpIndia also revealed a specific message from the DPSG chat group, where all co-conspirators of the Delhi anti-Hindu riot were present, where the protests being a precursor to a ‘regime change operation’ was mentioned.
The message in question was sent by Rahul Roy on the 20th of January 2020 – a full month before the Delhi anti-Hindu riot. In the message, Rahul Roy mentions that the protest was a precursor to a regime change operation, spearheaded by the Jamia Coordination Committee.
To bolster his point, ASG Raju also showed a video which demonstrated how the protestors had mobilised, leading to the lynching of constable Ratan Lal. Through CCTV footage, he demonstrated how the rioters first, as per a planned conspiracy, covered the cameras, disconnected or damanged the CCTV cameras which were too high to cover, and then, once that was done, unleashed violence.
OpIndia reconstructed the video from the details of the chargesheet. The video can be seen below:
-USA 
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