Gurugram: Cow vigilante Rajkumar Panchal, also known as Bittu Bajrangi, has been booked by the Faridabad police after he released a video announcing a reward for anyone who beheads the Samajwadi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP, Ramjilal Suman.
The controversial remarks were in response to Suman’s statement in Parliament questioning why Hindutva supporters criticise Babur but not Rajput leader Rana Sanga, who he said invited the Mughal ruler to India.
“But I want to ask, who brought Babur here? It was Rana Sanga who invited Babur to defeat Ibrahim Lodi. So, if Muslims are called the descendants of Babur, then Hindus must be the descendants of traitor Rana Sanga. We criticise Babur, but why don’t we criticise Rana Sanga?” Suman said in the Rajya Sabha last Friday.
Rana Sanga was a 16th-century Rajput ruler from Mewar in Rajasthan.
Bajrangi, in a video posted on Facebook Monday, called Suman the “offspring of Babur and Aurangzeb” and urged Hindus to act against him.
“Ramjilal’s father gave him the wrong name. I appeal to all Hindus—whoever beheads Ramjilal will be duly rewarded by the Gau Raksha Bajrang Force,” Bajrangi said.
Ramjilal Suman’s comments have sparked a significant backlash, with members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal staging protests in different parts of Rajasthan Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Karni Sena workers allegedly created a commotion outside his residence in Agra, with media reports saying several cars and chairs were damaged, and glass windows at the SP MP’s house were broken.
Following outrage over Bajrangi’s remarks, the Faridabad police registered an FIR against him at Saran Police Station on 24 March.
Yash Pal, public relations officer of Faridabad police, told ThePrint Wednesday that Bajrangi has been booked under Sections 196(1) and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Section 196(1) of the BNS pertains to promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community, and acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony. Section 299 deals with deliberate and malicious acts that insult the religious beliefs of a class of people.
If convicted, Bajrangi could face stringent legal consequences, with imprisonment up to five years and/or a fine.
Bajrangi’s controversies
This is not the first time Bajrangi—who claims to be a devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman—has courted controversy.
He was arrested in August 2023 for allegedly inciting the communal violence that erupted in Haryana’s Nuh district during the Brijmandal Jalabhishek Yatra. An FIR was registered against him under sections of the IPC and Arms Act. He was later granted bail.
In April last year, another video surfaced showing Bajrangi beating a man in Faridabad, accusing him of luring two minor girls with chocolates. A police officer seen standing by in the video did not intervene. No legal action was taken against him in this case.
Bittu Bajrangi had also attempted to enter electoral politics last year when he filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Faridabad NIT constituency for the Haryana assembly elections. He later withdrew his candidature.
With this latest FIR, Bajrangi’s legal troubles continue to mount. The Faridabad police are investigating the case, and legal experts believe the charges under BNS could lead to stricter action against the self-styled Hindutva leader.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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