Gurugram: Rajkumar alias Bittu Bajrangi, an accused in the 2023 Nuh violence case, shared a stage with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during a public meeting in Faridabad in poll-bound Haryana. Bajrangi, who too filed his nomination as an Independent from Faridabad NIT constituency, announced his support for the BJP candidate, Satish Kumar Phagna, at the public meeting organised by the party Saturday.
Among those on the stage with him were UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar, as well as Dhanesh Adlakha, Satish Kumar Phagna and Tek Chand Sharma—BJP candidates from Badkhal, Faridabad NIT and Prithla seats respectively.
In one photo of the public meeting shared by Phagna on his official Facebook page, Bittu Bajrangi can be seen flashing a victory sign alongside him, Yogi Adityanath and Krishan Pal Gurjar. A second photo shows Bajrangi addressing the public meeting and a third shows him holding Phagna’s hand up to signal his support to the BJP candidate.
“Shri Bittu Bajrangi (president of Gauraksha Bajrang Force), inspired by the nationalist ideology, good governance, and the policies of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), extended his full support during the massive public rally of the Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath ji, in the esteemed presence of senior BJP leaders and workers. I warmly welcome and extend my heartfelt thanks to him and all his supporters,” Phagna wrote on his Facebook page.
Bajrangi too wrote on his Facebook page that he was extending his support to Phagna “for Sanatan Dharma and in honour and respect for Yogi ji”.
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Will raise voice against ‘love jihad’: Bajrangi
In his speech, Bittu Bajrangi gave a call to all followers of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ to unite to bring the BJP back to power in Haryana, criticised Mamman Khan, the incumbent Congress MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka in Nuh district, and reiterated his resolve against ‘love jihad’.
Bajrangi claimed Khan, who is seeking re-election, told supporters that many people will have to leave Mewat if he wins again. Bajrangi then went on to say that the government belongs to all and not just one group.
Khan too is an accused in the 2023 Nuh violence case and was arrested last September but granted bail a month later.
After he trained his guns at Khan, Bajrangi also said people of Haryana are unhappy with the Congress and its leaders who betrayed them, especially the voters of Faridabad NIT assembly constituency. Stating that he does not have any money to spend on campaigning, Bajrangi vowed to continue raising his voice against ‘love jihad’ and cow slaughter.
Who is Bittu Bajrangi
Rajkumar alias Bittu Bajrangi is a resident of Faridabad’s Parvatiya Colony.
He claims to be a devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman, and is the founder of Gauraksha Bajrang Force—an outfit of cow vigilantes.
He has several cases registered against him and has taken part in public meetings organised by the BJP even in the past, but does not have any official ties to the party.
He is also accused of instigating the communal violence that erupted in Haryana’s Nuh district during a procession organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other outfits on 31 July, 2023. At least seven people were killed in the violence.
Bajrangi was later arrested in connection with the violence and sent to a jail in Faridabad on a complaint by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Usha Kundu.
“I was on duty with my team about 300 metres from the Nalhar temple when we noticed a mob of around 20 people armed with swords and tridents heading towards the temple. To maintain law and order, my team confiscated their weapons,” Kundu said in her complaint.
Adding, “They began chanting slogans against police and physically assaulted the team. We secured their weapons in our vehicles, but they went on to sit in front of the vehicles. Soon after, they opened rear gates of our vehicles and escaped with the weapons. Bittu and others who threatened to kill us and misbehaved were later identified in the footage.”
Based on the complaint, Bajrangi was charged under sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (causing hurt), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 186 (obstructing a public servant from discharging duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, besides relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
He was later shifted to Neemka jail in Faridabad owing to threats to his life.
Following his arrest, VHP distanced itself from Bajrangi and said he has never been associated with the Bajrang Dal—youth wing of VHP—and that VHP “also does not endorse” the video released by him before the violence in which he can be seen threatening Muslims.
Bajrangi was in jail for two weeks before being granted bail.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)