Chandigarh: Inflammatory social media posts cannot be used as an excuse for inciting communal violence, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said, even as he insisted that action will be taken against the culprits behind Monday’s Nuh clash.
Leaders of the Meo Muslim (or Mewati Muslim) community have alleged that videos by alleged cow vigilantes Mohit Yadav alias Monu Manesar, and Bittu Bajrangi triggered violence at a religious procession — the Braj Mandal Yatra — organised by Hindutva outfits Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Matru Shakti Durga Vahini Monday. The clash left six dead, over 60 injured and led to destruction of property.
While Monu’s alleged role will be investigated, Bajrangi has been booked, police said Wednesday.
Speaking to ThePrint, though, Monu denied his involvement, while Bajrangi said he wasn’t aware of the First Information Report (FIR) against him.
When ThePrint contacted Vij Wednesday, he said, “Monu Manesar is a criminal wanted by the police in Haryana as well as in Rajasthan. The police will arrest him sooner or later for the FIR (in an earlier case) against him.”
Monu, who remains at large, has been booked for his alleged role in the February killing of two Muslim men from Rajasthan.
On Bittu Bajrangi, Vij said, “I have not seen his video, but the police are scanning all social media posts and registering FIRs against those responsible. I saw Monu Manesar’s video on social media but it didn’t have anything except a plea for people to join Braj Mandal Yatra in Nuh on 31 July.”
“However, does a video post by a criminal give people the right to attack a religious procession and policemen?” Vij asked, speaking to ThePrint.
Addressing a press conference in Gurugram Wednesday, Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) P.K. Agrawal said Monu’s role in the Nuh incident was a matter of investigation. He added that 41 FIRs have been registered so far in the incident, 116 people arrested, and 90 others were detained.
“We will seek police remand (of those arrested) and gather information on the others involved in the incident from their interrogation,” said the DGP.
Meanwhile, Nuh SP Varun Singla resumed duty Wednesday after his leave.
Bhiwani SP Narendra Singh Bijarniya, who was officiating as Nuh SP in Singla’s absence, told ThePrint that the arrested youths were from Nuh as well as Rajasthan.
“Initial interrogation has revealed that following videos of Monu Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi, these youths held meetings of smaller groups before organising people via WhatsApp to hold a protest against the Braj Mandal Yatra. More details will be known once investigations are complete,” he said.
Asked about possible action against Manesar and Bajrangi for their videos, Bijarniya said an FIR has already been registered against Bajrangi in his hometown of Faridabad.
“The police are registering FIRs whenever they receive a complaint,” he added.
Monu wasn’t present at the yatra while Bajrangi was among the 3,000-odd people stranded at the Nalhar Mahadev Mandir following the initial violence.
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‘Not responsible’
Monu has maintained he had no role in the Nuh incident and that he was at a Gurugram hotel at the time of the clash. When ThePrint contacted him on the phone Wednesday, he said, “You watch my video and you will find that I said nothing that could incite violence. I just invited people to participate in the Braj Mandal Yatra in large numbers. I have never uttered a word that could harm the social fabric of the state.”
He claimed his name was being dragged into the case because of the ‘vested interests’ of the Muslim community who have lost their cow smuggling trade and cyber crimes because of his alertness in providing timely tips to the police.
Without giving any names, he said, “I was asked by a senior officer of the district to avoid coming for the yatra.”
Bajrangi was booked Monday under Section 295a (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), confirmed Sube Singh Kaushik, public relations officer with the Police Commissionerate at Faridabad. On his part, Bajrangi has claimed that he wasn’t aware of the FIR.
When contacted by ThePrint on the phone Wednesday, he maintained he didn’t do anything wrong by posting the controversial video. “Some youths from Nuh dared me to come for the Braj Mandal Yatra. I released the video in response, saying I will definitely come, challenging them to stop me if they could,” he said.
Speaking of his rescue Monday, Bajrangi said, “Had Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Mamta Singh not arrived in the temple, I would not be here to tell my story. Though additional forces arrived later, she came with just five commandos even as miscreants surrounded the temple and sprayed bullets from the hillock.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)