BY SHINJINEE MAJUMDER / ALTNEWS
In the days following the communal clashes in Nuh during Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra on July 31, several rallies and Mahapanchayats were held in many states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where Hindutva ideologues made open calls for the killing of Muslims and their social and economic boycott. These meetings/processions were organised by Right Wing outfits like the VHP, where demonstrators repeatedly raised communally divisive slogans. In a number of cases, open calls for violence were made in the presence of police personnel. In around 50 panchayats in three districts of Haryana, open letters were issued barring the entry of Muslims.
The VHP and Bajrang Dal workers also gave bytes to the media where they appealed to the Haryana government and authorities to take action against those responsible for the violence in Nuh. A common theme among these demonstrations was the vehement assertion that the police were unjustly detaining innocent Hindus. This sentiment arose from the belief that the government was driven by ‘vote bank politics’ and was thus reluctant to arrest Muslims, as such actions were perceived as not conducive to securing electoral victories.
Most recently, a Hindu Mahapanchayat was held at Pondri village in the Palwal district in Haryana on August 11. The rally was initially supposed to be held in Nuh district’s Kira village but permission was denied for it in view of the prevailing law and order situation. Prior to the Mahapanchayat, police stated that permission for a limited gathering had been given and strict action would be taken if any hate speech was made. However, despite the ‘no hate speech policy’, some speakers issued open threats in the presence of police personnel. A speaker was reportedly heard saying, “If you raise a finger, we will cut off your hands”.
Acharya Azad Singh Arya, the chief of VHP Haryana and senior member of ‘Gau Raksha Dal’ in Haryana, also spoke at the Mahapanchayat. He made several controversial statements including urging the Hindus of Mewat and neighbouring villages to take up arms. “Hindus of Mewat and the neighbouring villages should take up at least 100 arms. Not revolvers, you should take rifles. Revolvers don’t have an effective range”, he was heard saying. He also appealed to the authorities to ‘bulldoze’ the houses of those Muslims who slaughtered cows and were responsible for violence in Nuh. He demanded that those accountable for the violence be hanged within six months.
Over 50 panchayats in three districts — Rewari, Mahendergarh and Jhajjar — released letters barring the entry of Muslim traders. The letters, signed by sarpanches, also say Muslims living in the villages need to submit their identity documents to the police. “We don’t intend to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments,” the letters read. According to an NDTV report, a letter was also issued in the Munda Khera village in the Jhajjar district which stated that the Panchayat had decided to forbid entry to Muslim traders and pheriwalas into the village.
This story was originally published in altnews.in. Read the full story here