New Delhi, August 01, 2023 (PPI-OT): At least three people were killed, including two Home Guards, and 20 were injured when a religious procession by the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad turned violent in Haryana’s Nuh. As the situation still remains tense, the Haryana government has suspended internet in the district till tomorrow Wednesday, to contain the “intense communal tension”, Indian media reported. Prohibitory orders, including a ban on assembly of people, have also been clamped in the district.

Claiming that about “3,000-4,000 persons were held hostage in a temple”, Haryana home minister, Anil Vij, said that the state government had already requested the Union government for additional forces. Violence had spread to Sohna Chowk near Gurugram, with some vehicles being set on fire.

The news agency PTI, quoting police said, said Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra’ was stopped by a group of young men near Khedla Mod in Nuh and stones were pelted at the procession, leading to the outbreak of violence. At least four cars, part of the procession, were set on fire. The Yatra was flagged off in the morning from Civil Lines in Gurugram by BJP district president, Gargi Kakkar. The Yatra was to reach Ferozepur Jhirka via Nuh. Violence erupted when it reached Nuh around 1:30 pm. According to authorities, the Yatra had permission, and around 1,000 policemen were deployed along the Yatra’s route.

Police said a group of young men near Khedla Mod in Nuh stopped the Yatra and pelted stones at the procession. At least four cars, part of the procession, were set on fire. Some police vehicles were also damaged. People in the procession hurled stones back at the youths who had stopped them. “The situation is tense in Nuh. There are about 3,000-4,000 persons being held hostage at Narhar temple. All these were part of the VHP’s procession. We are trying our best to first rescue these people,” Indian media quoted state home minister, Anil Vij, as saying.

There are claims doing rounds that the trigger for the clash was an objectionable video posted on social media by a Bajrang Dal activist in Ballabhgarh. Reports also indicate that Monu Manesar – a cow vigilante wanted in the murder of two Muslim men in Rajasthan – was supposed to join the procession. Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed from the Congress told media that it was really unfortunate that such events have happened, and held the district administration responsible for the flaring up of clashes. “The administration has failed in its duty to prevent these clashes despite the circulation of provocative and hateful videos for the last 2-3 days,” he said.

The two such videos have gone viral on social media in which Hindutva activists provoked people of Nuh to “welcome” the rallyists as their Yatra will “make it a point” to pass through Muslim-majority Nuh. In the same video, the leader used several humiliating references against the people of Nuh.

Ahmed said, “Such anti-social elements have been patronised under this government for a long time. They move around without any fear of law,” he said. A social organisation called Mewat Vikas Sabha informed the press that the Shobha Yatra was preceded by circulation of several hateful videos against Muslims in Mewat. It alleged that the “Shobha Yatra” organised by Hindutva groups was a “calculated” attempt by engineer communal violence in the Muslim-majority Nuh. “Very provocative videos were circulated in the last two days. Despite that, the administration allowed the Yatra to enter Mewat. And when violence began, the administration simply collapsed, police disappeared,” it said. Meanwhile, the district magistrate Nishant Kumar Yadav imposed Section 144, prohibiting assembly of more than five persons in light of the violence.

For more information, contact:

Kashmir Media Service

Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549

Fax: +92-51-4861736

Email: info@kmsnews.org

Website: www.kmsnews.org