New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal on Wednesday held protests in different parts of the country against the attack on a religious procession taken out by the right-wing group in Haryana’s Nuh.
VHP working president Alok Kumar said demonstrations were held “successfully” across all districts in the country with the participation of “lakhs of people”.
Communal violence broke out in Haryana’s Nuh district on Monday as a mob tried to stop a VHP procession by pelting stones and setting cars on fire. The violence spilled over into neighbouring Gurugram on Tuesday with mobs killing a Muslim cleric, torching an eatery and vandalising shops.
Six people have died so far in the violence, 116 people have been arrested and 90 detained, according to the Haryana government.
“The VHP and the Bajrang Dal had called for demonstrations in every district of the country today against the violent attacks… on peaceful pilgrims in Haryana’s Nuh… These demonstrations were held successfully with the participation of lakhs of people at hundreds of places across the country,” the right-wing group said in a statement.
Demonstrations were also held in several parts of Delhi amid tight security.
Carrying saffron flags and chanting slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Har Har Mahadev’, and ‘Vande Mataram’, protesters staged a sit-in at the Badarpur border, blocking the road and hampering traffic movement from Faridabad to Delhi.
The Delhi Police beefed up security in the city and used drones to monitor the protests.
The VHP also held a demonstration in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, violating prohibitory orders, and demanded financial aid for the families of two Bajrang Dal members who it claimed died in Monday’s clash.
Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which prohibits assembly of more than four people, is in force in Gautam Buddh Nagar district. Noida falls under this district.
Hundreds of members and supporters of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal participated in a rally that started from the Noida stadium in Sector 21A and culminated near the district magistrate’s office in Sector 27.
VHP working president Kumar said a large number of people participated in “nationwide” protests against Monday’s attack.
“Some seculars, who find peace in creating hurdles, had filed a petition in the Supreme Court today to stop the VHP and the Bajrang Dal from holding protests and demonstrations. They also pleaded for restraint on holding any mahapanchayat today. But the Supreme Court refused (to allow the plea),” Kumar said
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ordered enhanced deployment of security personnel in sensitive areas and a crackdown on hate speech but refused to stop the demonstrations by the VHP and the Bajrang Dal in Delhi.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V Bhatti also ordered installation of CCTV cameras in vulnerable places and that their footage be preserved.
The top court passed the order after senior advocate C U Singh, appearing for journalist Shaheen Abdullah, said 23 demonstrations had been announced by the VHP and the Bajrang Dal in various parts of the National Capital Region (NCR).
“Our demonstrations were held peacefully and within the limits of the law. Therefore, installation of CCTV cameras and videography will not make any difference,” Kumar said.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday appealed for peace in the state and asserted that those found responsible for the clashes will not be spared.
The VHP had on Tuesday likened the violence in Nuh to a “terror attack” and demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into it.
Addressing a press conference, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain had claimed the attacks were carried out against Hindu devotees in a “pre-planned manner” and the attackers were “incited” by some Haryana Congress leaders.
Alleging an intelligence failure on the part of the state police, Jain had claimed the rioters used sophisticated weapons and regular firearms to attack Hindu devotees during the procession.
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