On the basis of inputs from Nuh, ADGP CID Alok Mittal wrote to Nuh SP and DC Parshant Panwar on July 27 expressing fears of violence erupting during the Yatra. He also cautioned DGP Parshant Aggarwal but apparently the alerts were ignored, writes Pawan Kumar Bansal
Violence during Jal-abhishek Yatra organized by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal at Shiv temple, Nalhar, in Nuh district of Haryana has earned a bad name for Haryana Government to the extent that even Punjab and Haryana High Court while ordering a halt to its bulldozer campaign of demolishing establishments of a particular community has come down heavily on it questioning the purpose of campaign and asking whether it is a form of ethnic-cleansing?
The entire administration of Nuh district including Superintendent of Police, Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Deputy Superintendent of Police and District Public Relations Officer has been transferred.
About a hundred persons have been arrested and a massive hunt is going on in nearby Bharatpur district of Rajasthan as it is believed that some persons accused of violence in Nuh are hiding.there.
Enough damage has been done. Six persons including two home guard Jawans on duty have lost their lives and property worth crores have been burnt or damaged.
In nearby Gurugram, a mosque was damaged and its twenty year old Imam was killed by an unruly mob. Four persons were arrested by Gurugram Police in this connection but Hindu Maha -panchayat has demanded their release, failing which they have threatened to launch an agitation.
Even after violence, during protest-demonstrations by VHP and Bajrang Dal all over the State, provocative slogans advocating boycott of a particular community were raised in the presence of police. The members of the community were even threatened to leave the area during sloganeering.
For three days, hundreds of houses and a hotel at Nuh, which the government claims was used for throwing stones on the Yatra, were bulldozed until the campaign was stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Despite reports of apprehension of violence during the Yatra from both sides. i.e by organisers of Yatra and those opposing it, the Nuh administration and the police failed to undertake adequate measures to prevent the ugly situation.
To add salt to injury, CM Manohar Lal commented that since the police force was less as compared to the population of the state, hence everyone cannot be provided police security.
The contradictory stands and statements of the Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij, Inderjit, Union Minister and MP from Gurugram, and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on the issue have further complicated the situation.
The traditional Yatra which was started three years back was scheduled for 31st July. A week before the Yatra, Vishavjit, Inspector, CID, Nuh, sent input to headquarters apprehending violence during Yatra adding that the organiser will wave naked swords during Yatra.
Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante, against whom a case of murdering two youths of a community on suspicion that they were cow killers is registered in nearby Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, had announced that he would join Yatra and had appealed people to join in large numbers.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has stated that Haryana Police did not cooperate with Rajasthan Police when it went into Haryana for arresting him. Haryana CM Manohar Lal however has denied the charge saying that none had sought any help.
Videos carrying provocative messages from saffron activists went viral announcing that they were coming asking the opposite groups to be ready for their welcome which further aggravated the situation leading to tremendous resentment among members of a community.
In the state assembly, Maman Khan, Congress MLA from Nuh, while speaking about the alleged high-handedness of Monu Manesar, self-styled cow-vigilante, threatened that if Monu Manesar entered Nuh, he would be crushed like an onion.
On the basis of inputs received from Nuh, ADGP CID Alok Mittal reportedly wrote to Nuh SP and DC Parshant Panwar on 27th July alerting them about the apprehension of violence during the Yatra.
Nuh SP Varun Singla proceeded on leave all of sudden and SP of nearby Palwal district Lokender Singh was given additional charge.
Alok Mittal also cautioned DGP Parshant Aggarwal about apprehension of violence but he didn’t share this either with Home Minister Anil Vij or with CM Manohar Lal for reasons best known to him as efforts to know his version bore no result as he didn’t pick up his phone.
However Anil Vij said that the information was not shared with him.
Nuh deputy commissioner Parshant Panwar put the inputs in the meeting of the peace-committee composed of prominent persons of both the communities, who assured that nothing untoward would happen. The Administration and the police should have taken adequate arrangements but they apparently failed to understand the seriousness of the situation and believed the assurance given by members of the peace-committee.
Now we come to the statements of Union Minister Inderjit, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, Home Minister Anil Vij and D.P.Vats, Rajya Sabha member of BJP.
Inderjit questioned why the organisers of Yatra were carrying weapons?
Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that the organiser of Yatra did not give complete information about route of Yatra to administration and hence the trouble.
D.P.Vats alleged that violence at Nuh was a conspiracy by Pakistan.
Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala told newsmen at Chandigarh that he got information about Nuh’s situation in the morning whereas state Home Minister Anil Vij said that at 3 p.m, a private person informed him about violence at Nuh.
It is interesting to mention here that while delegations of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee and Aam Aadmi Party were not allowed by administration to visit Nuh , entire administration including ADGP Mamata Singh met the BJP delegation led by Om Parkash Dhankhar at Circuit house and briefed about the steps taken by the police and the administration.
Targeting Congress and AAP for violence, Dhankhar warned that those involved in violence will not be spared.
Nuh Police is worried as organisers of Yatra are planning to resume the Yatra, which could not be completed due to violence, from August 28
The Indian Reserve battalion has been shifted from Bhondsi to Nuh and VHP national Joint Secretary Surinder Jain has demanded that para-military forces should be permanently posted at Nuh as police alone cannot check anti-social and communal elements.
Nuh SP Narender Brijaniya said that he was hopeful of controlling the situation adding that none responsible for violence will be spared.
