Haryana riots engineered to disturb peace, says minister; 5 dead; curfew in Nuh

Someone who wanted to disturb the peace in Haryana engineered the violence in Nuh, state Home Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday (August 1) as authorities imposed a curfew in the district after the previous day’s violence.

A mosque was attacked in the Sector 57 area of Gurugram on Tuesday, leading to the death of a man and taking the toll in the violence to five, police said. Four persons were killed on Monday and several injured following violence that erupted over an alleged attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession.

A curfew has been imposed in violence-hit Nuh district where two home guards were killed and several policemen were injured as well. As the violence spread to neighbouring Gurugram, a mob opened fire in which two persons were injured. A 26-year-old man named Saad, a native of Bihar, was killed when the mosque was set ablaze, the police said.

Air Force on standby

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will hold a meeting with Vij and officials, including the chief secretary and senior police officers, to take stock of the situation in Nuh, official sources said. Even though security has been strengthened in Nuh and other areas, the situation continues to be tense, officials said.

Speaking to reporters in Ambala, Vij said the incident in Nuh does not appear to have happened all of a sudden. “The level of violence that took place and also occurred at different points, the way stones were collected, the way weapons were brandished, the way shots were fired, it does not appear to have happened all of a sudden,” said Vij.

Both the communities live peacefully there, he said. Somebody who wanted to disturb peace in the state and the country engineered or masterminded this incident, claimed Vij. However, he added, “I don’t want to immediately reach any conclusion. Our primary objective is to bring the situation under control and maintain peace.”

Vij said he had asked the officials concerned to investigate the incident thoroughly. “After investigation, whatever comes up, nobody will be spared,” he said.

The Haryana minister added that forces from neighbouring Palwal, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Jhajjar and Rewari districts were sent after violence erupted in Nuh. “Today, forces from other parts of Haryana are being sent,” he said.

Vij further said he has spoken to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and the state has been allotted 20 companies of central forces. If the need arises to airlift forces from any far-off place, the Indian Air Force has been asked to be on standby. Some companies of central forces have already reached Nuh, he further said, adding that an alert has been sounded in other districts as well.

Mob attacked mosque: Police

According to the police, the mob reached the Anjuman Masjid in Sector 57 after midnight Monday. Some people in the crowd opened fire at the people present in the mosque and also set it ablaze.

In Nuh, two more people injured in the violence on Monday succumbed to their injuries. The victims are home guards Neeraj and Gursewak and Bhadas village resident Shakti. The identity of the fourth victim is still to be ascertained.

Vij said two 15 people were brought to the medical college in Nalhar while one was brought dead. Three policemen who suffered gunshot wounds are on ventilator support. In all, 10 policemen were among 23 injured in the violence in Nuh. The police have registered 11 FIRs in the district and detained 27 people in connection with the rioting.

At least 120 vehicles were damaged during the violence in the district. Of these, 50, including eight belonging to the police, were set ablaze.

As news of the violence in Muslim-dominated Nuh spread on Monday, mobs in Sohna set ablaze four vehicles and a shop, apparently belonging to people from that community. The situation in Nuh and Sohna continues to be tense. However, there were no reports of any fresh violence on Tuesday.

Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers in Nuh and the other affected areas, the police said.

In Haryana, the government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions including schools, colleges and coaching centres in Haryana’s Faridabad district on Tuesday (August 1).

The Haryana government has also urged the Centre to send 20 companies of the Rapid Action Force from the Centre for a week, starting July 31, to maintain the law and order situation in Nuh district.

Also read: Haryana: 1 dead, 20 hurt in clashes over VHP yatra; hundreds rescued from temple

Haryana CM appeals for peace

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said “strictest action” will be taken against those responsible for the incident. “Today’s incident is unfortunate. I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, and strictest action will be taken against them,” the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

The chief minister said that the kind of situation that has arisen in Nuh, the responsibility of every common citizen towards the society increases further. He said that no person is above the Constitution of the country. “We all should keep working together for the integrity and peace of the country,” he said.

Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also appealed to all to maintain peace and brotherhood. Congress MLA from Nuh Aftab Ahmed and former MLA Zakir Hussain also urged people to maintain peace and brotherhood. Hussain said that Nuh-Mewat region is known for its brotherhood and communal harmony for centuries and people should not lend an ear to any rumour and maintain peace.

Union minister Rao Inderjit appealed to people of all sections to maintain peace, saying that the residents of Mewat have always set an example of brotherhood. He said that anyone who disturbs brotherhood will not be spared.

Meanwhile, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav warned the public of strict legal action for any objectionable post on social media.

What triggered the clashes?

According to police, the clashes broke out when Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra was stopped by a group of young men near Khedla Mod in Nuh. Stones were allegedly pelted at the procession and at least four cars which were part of the procession, were set on fire. People in the procession also allegedly hurled stones back at the youths who had stopped them, reports said.

Some claimed that an objectionable video posted on social media by a Bajrang Dal activist in Ballabhgarh triggered the violent clashes. There were also reports that Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante wanted in the murder of two Muslim men in Rajasthan, was supposed to join the procession. Some reports claimed he was seen during the yatra and locals retaliated.

The clash soon spread to parts of Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Palwal districts as well.

In Nuh, mobile internet services have been suspended till Wednesday to contain the “intense communal tension”, the Haryana government said. “…This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from 4 pm, July 31 to 23:59 hours of August 2,” Additional Chief Secretary (Home) T V S N Prasad said.

Why did govt ignore reports of possible riots? asks Opposition

The Congress and INLD on Monday targeted the BJP-JJP government in Haryana over the violence in Nuh, alleging that the ruling combine has failed on the law and order front.

“BJP-JJP has proved to be a complete failure in maintaining law and order in the state. The violence in Nuh is the result of failure of this government,” said Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly.

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“The government should understand its responsibility and do everything possible with sensitivity to maintain peace,” Hooda said in a tweet in Hindi.

The former chief minister said people should keep a close eye on provocations and rumours and cooperate with each other in establishing love and brotherhood.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) also targeted the Khattar government.

INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala said that the BJP-led government in Haryana has ruined the law and order situation. “For the last two days, reports were coming that there might be a riot in Nuh. Even after that why did the BJP government deliberately remain silent?” he said.

“A person accused of kidnapping and killing two Muslim men from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district posted a video on social media saying that he would reach the Braj Mandal Yatra. When the BJP government already knew that riots could break out if the accused reaches Nuh, why were concrete arrangements not made by the police and the administration to deal with it?” Chautala asked.

Chautala also alleged that the BJP has been continuously doing “dirty politics” by “inciting communal frenzy” in the country and the state.

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP-JJP government has failed to maintain law and order in the state.
“If they cannot maintain law and order, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his deputy Dushyant Chautala should resign,” Surjewala said.

He said the news of violence and vandalism coming from Nuh-Mewat region is extremely worrying as well as heart-wrenching. “I appeal on behalf of the Congress to all sides concerned that violence is not a solution to anything. The elements, who indulge in violence, may be from any religion or caste…strict action should be taken against them,” said Surjewala.

“Chief Minister Khattar should come forward, hold talks with all the sides concerned, establish peace and take action against the culprits,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)