Mumbai: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has alleged that the Mumbai Police is targeting its members and specifically the members of its youth wing, Bajrang Dal, under the garb of maintaining law and order.
To emphasise this, members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal held a protest, ‘Akrosh Rally’ Tuesday from 3 pm to 5 pm in Mumbai against alleged ‘police atrocities’. The rally, attended by thousands of workers, began at Churchgate railway station and concluded at the office of Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar. Several members of the VHP’s women’s wing also took part, raising slogans and carrying placards that read, “Is being a Hindu party worker a crime?”
A seven-member delegation consisting of senior functionaries, met the Commissioner Tuesday to raise their concerns and demanded that the officials involved in alleged assault cases be suspended.
Speaking to ThePrint, Narendra Majumdar, in charge of VHP’s media cell, said, “Since the last two years, many party workers have been beaten up. On 20 April, one of our party workers was admitted to the ICU, which is why we have organised the protest. We want the police officials to be suspended immediately. Irrespective of the government in power, the police have been targeting Hindu party workers specifically, under the garb of maintaining law and order.”
Two separate incidents sparked outrage among members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal. In Wadala, they allege that the date of a Ram Navami procession was shifted from 6 April to 20 April at the request of the police, only for the authorities to later revoke permission and allegedly assault the participants. In Vakola, leaders claimed that their members were brutally beaten by police while helping a minor girl file a molestation complaint in March.
“The treatment handed out to a worker in the Vakola case was more brutal than the treatment given to Kasab. India is known for bringing justice to everyone. Even Kasab, who killed people, was given a fair trial, but our workers are being subjected to third-degree torture,” said Majumdar.
Mumbai Police comes under the state home department, which is a portfolio held by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“We have always followed the law and order laid down by the police over the years because this land, country, and culture belongs to the Hindus. However, the VHP and Bajrang Dal have never misbehaved with the police. We do not have a problem with the entire police force, but some officers feel they can do anything. We request that they let us use the Right to Protest judiciously, given to us by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar,” the Majumdar added.
ThePrint reached Mumbai Police spokesperson Datta Nalawade via calls and messages. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Youth leaders also said that the state’s administration must focus on ensuring proper oversight of the police force—particularly in cases affecting the Hindu community. “We’re not saying all police officers are at fault, but those who are need to be identified and held accountable,” said one leader at the protest, where chants like ‘Arey Jaago Toh Ek Baar’, ‘Hindu Jaago Re’, and ‘Garv Se Kaho Hum Hindu Hai’ filled the air.
“The principles of the VHP are religion and service to humanity. Anywhere a tragedy happens, we raise our voices against injustice. We feel ashamed as we face injustice at the hands of the police meant to protect its citizens and country,” said Mohan Salekar, secretary of the VHP’s Konkan division.
Also read: Oppn with Centre, but it shouldn’t have assumed terror eliminated from Kashmir—Pawar on Pahalgam
‘Don’t harm Hindu brethren’
At the protest, Gautam Ravriya, a Bajrang Dal leader said that the police are targeting his fellow members “who protect women from love jihad”.
“The Hindus of today have awakened, I request the home minister to support us and suspend police officials showing affinity to Islamists,” he said.
Apart from this, calls were made by the women’s wing leader, Manisha Bhoir, “to protect Hindu daughters and women from marrying Muslims”, adding that none of the women from the Hindu community should marry Muslims.
Further, Bhoir said, “The police harm our workers relentlessly, but they should remember that they are not ‘puncture repair wallahs’,” in a supposed reference to the Muslim community, made by PM Narendra Modi a few days ago at one of his rallies.
A young man named Deepak at the protest said, “We recently held a protest against the Pahalgam attack where the Muslim community members beat up our party workers, but it was our workers who were arrested. Our protest is against this very brutality, and we appeal to the police not to target us deliberately.”
Another protester from Navi Mumbai, Prasanna Dharmadhikari, said, “Our aim and values are that of service, duty, and cultural traditions. If the police keep using their force against us, the aim of our countrymen leads nowhere. I appeal to the police to take the FIRs by our party workers seriously and not harm their Hindu brethren.”
When asked if the VHP would take this matter further with the CM, Majumdar said they would if no action is taken.
“We will wait till our next step as we expect action from the head police administration. We received a positive response from the commissioner at our meeting, and he said that due process will be followed before taking any action against the police officials involved, adding that a complaint regarding instances of assault against our party workers has been registered,” said Majumdar.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: From Dombivali & Pune to Panvel, Maharashtra mourns as kin bid last goodbye to Pahalgam victims
This protest against police is nothing but a pressure tactic. The law of our country says that nobody can law onto their own hands. To maintain law and order, the police department is created. It seems the VHP and Bajrang Dal members did not follow law and hence the police used some force. The politicians must protect the police force from such pressure tactics. This will ensure law and order in society.