VHP, Bajrang Dal announce nationwide protests against Haryana violence — ‘won’t be tolerated’

At least five people have been killed in violence that first broke out during a religious procession in Nuh Monday, and spilled over to nearby regions including Gurugram.

Burnt vehicles lie on the road in the aftermath of communal clashes in Haryana's Nuh | ANI

New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal plan to hold nationwide protests in response to the violence in Haryana on Wednesday. The announcement came as communal tensions that first erupted at a religious procession in Nuh district spilled over to nearby regions including Gurugram. 

At a press conference in Delhi Tuesday, VHP international joint general secretary Surendra Jain demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for those killed in the violence and Rs 20 lakh for the wounded.

At least five people — including two home guards — were killed in the communal tensions that first flared up during a VHP-backed religious procession at Nuh Monday evening. The ‘Braj Mandal Yatra’ was jointly organised by the VHP and another Hindu organisation, Matra Shakti Durga Vahini, and ended up in stone pelting and arson, leaving several people — including policemen — wounded.

Nuh is a Muslim-majority district in Hayana’s Mewat region. 

Seventy people have so far been arrested in connection with the violence. As tensions spread to other parts of the state such as Gurugram, where a mosque was set ablaze and an imam killed, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who has appealed for calm, called an urgent meeting to take stock of the situation.    

At Tuesday’s press conference, VHP’s Surendra Jain accused Congress MLAs Mamman Khan and Aftab Ahmed of instigating Muslims. While Khan is an MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka, Ahmed represents Nuh in the Haryana assembly.

“These secular and Muslim leaders constantly make the Muslim population feel that they are in danger, that they will be wiped out,” he alleged. “People like Owaisi (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi) are also responsible who say that Muslims were instigated. If they were instigated, can they just kill anybody?”

‘Won’t be tolerated’  

According to Jain, tensions began at some temples in Nuh. Each year, devotees would gather at these temples during Shravan — a time in the Hindu calendar that spans the months of July and August.

“About 20,000-25,000 people arrived (at the temples) Monday. Not even 15 minutes into the yatra, miscreants started pelting stones and indulged in arson. Petrol bombs were hurled at them and, with great difficulty, we were able to save some people and bring them back to the temple of Nalhad Mahadev temple (in Nuh),” he claimed.  

Soon, a mob gathered outside the temple as well, setting vehicles ablaze and firing bullets, he claimed, adding that two people were wounded in the firing. 

“Seeing the police, the miscreants ran away to the (nearby) hills and began shooting at the women, children and other devotees who had taken shelter in the temple,” Jain further said, adding that at least four VHP karyakartas are still missing.

“Whether it’s Ram Navami, Mahavir Jayanti, or Kanwar yatra, attacks are happening on Hindus. How many times have you heard that a Muharram procession was attacked by Hindus?” he asked. “You may be in the majority there (in Nuh), but it doesn’t mean that you will make Mewat a Hindu graveyard. This won’t be tolerated,” he said.

The state government, he said, should provide compensation for the damage caused in the violence.

“Those injured should be given Rs 20 lakh and those whose vehicles and buses have been destroyed should be given a full compensation,” Jain said. 

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)