A government officer stood his ground and refused to be bullied by a Hindutva organisation in Uttar Pradesh’s Mau district, which alleged that a Muslim man had encroached on government land.
Mau city magistrate Brijendra Kumar was in no mood to entertain the whims of Sujit Singh, a member of Hindu Jagram Samithi. The Hindutva leader had submitted a memorandum in July claiming illegal construction.
Acting on the complaint, Kumar ordered an enquiry.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Kumar said, “The concerned tehsildar submitted a report stating it was not owned by the government, but belonged to a local Muslim doctor.”
Kumar stated that he had ordered the construction on the land to be stopped for two months, following Sujit Singh’s complaint. “The enquiry report revealed that the land is privately owned,” he said.
However, despite this finding, Sujit Singh and his supporters barged into the collectorate premises on Tuesday, August 19, shouting slogans and protesting loudly.
A video of the altercation between the city magistrate and the Hindutva leader has emerged on social media.
In a stern and calm voice, the city magistrate says, “You are creating pressure in the wrong way. You submitted a memorandum claiming the land was government property. But the investigation revealed it is not government land. You are repeatedly creating pressure. I will lodge a complaint if you keep insisting on this matter.”
“We are not scared of your FIR. We will go to jail if needed. We have come here to protest against the construction,” Sujit Singh is heard saying in the video.
Despite the city magistrate repeatedly telling Sujit Singh that the enquiry report falsifies the latter’s claims, the Hindutva leader continues arguing.
“Do not create a scene here. You cannot come to the government office premises and start protesting for no reason. This is illegal,” Kumar shuts him down by showing the enquiry report and reprimanding the latter for wasting the time of a government officer.
“The person has a personal grudge towards the local Muslim,” Kumar told Siasat.com, alleging some people were misusing government service.
