By Pawan Kumar Bansal*
GURUGRAM (HARYANA)—Even as the police on Tuesday arrested Raj Kumar alias Bittu Bajrangi for his role in the July 31 Nuh communal violence, government insiders allege that the Nuh violence script was written by top political leadership to polarise voters in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
Senior police officials allege that local CID officials had provided advance information about the apprehensions of violence but the police did not act at the behest of political leadership.
Bajrangi was arrested based on an FIR by one Assistant Inspector of Police (ASI) who was deployed to accompany the Yatra to check occurrence of any violence. ASI’s complaint said that during his duties for the Jalabhishek Yatra on July 31, he saw a group of 15-20 persons going towards the Nalhar temple around 12.30 pm and some of them were carrying swords and trident-like weapons. ASI said he, with the help of other policemen, seized these weapons and kept them in a police vehicle. But Bittu Bajrangi and his associates snatched these weapons and threatened police officers.
The CID input, source say, had been sent up to the top police officials at the state level. Sources in the government allege that a lack of coordination between the political leadership and state police officials led to inaction on the part of local police to take effective measures to prevent the occurrence of any untoward incident.
Braj Jalabhishek Yatra was organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and its youth wing Bajrang Dal from Nalhar Shiv Temple said to belong to the days of Pandava. Pandavas are said to have taken shelter in this temple.
But what happened on July 31 and afterwards, has brought a bad name to Haryana government as even the Punjab and Haryana High Court questioned the logic behind demolishing Muslim community’s houses and business places, asking whether it was “ethnic cleansing?” The high court had commented while hearing a petition seeking stay on bulldozing Muslim houses in violation of law.
While the district administration said that the houses targeted were built illegally, the officials had not issued prior notices. Moreover, the timing of the action indicated it was based on revenge rather than a routine administrative action. But a survey of the houses indicates that many of the multi-storeyed houses and a restaurant that were demolished, were neither built illegally nor were on government land. But if the houses demolished were really illegal, the question arises: Are there no other illegal houses in the town and what action the administration propose against them?
Nuh district officials as also senior officials at the state level say that this all happened due to lack of coordination between top police leadership and political leadership, meaning Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Home Minsiter Anil Vij.
While innocent people suffered due to mishandling of the issue by the police in the absence of any clear-cut direction from the political leadership, the police and civil administration also bore the brunt as the entire Nuh district administration including Superintendent of Police, Additional Deputy Commissioner, District Public Relations Officer amnd Deputy Superintendent of Police have been transferred. While transfer is a very routine thing in state government services, shifting officials when the academic session has begun affects their families and children. The only beneficiaries in such circumstances are always politicians. However, only the time will tell if the BJP will benefit from the Nuh violence that was, according to government sources and political analysts, clandestinely engineered to polarize the voters.
The local people had to bear the worst during imposition of curfew and internet shutdown when the entire district was cut from the rest of the world. Now, 70 FIRs have been registered, more than 200 people have been arrested, about 100 injured and about 150 establishments demolished. As a rection, communal incidents also took place in Sohna and Gurugram. A total of six persons were killed, four in Nuh and two in Gurugram. Property worth hundreds of crores of rupees was destroyed. In Gurugram, a mosque was damaged and its 22-year-old Imam was killed by a mob.
After the violence, several meetings have been organized by hardline groups, using hate speeches. During protest demonstrations by VHP and Bajrang Dal all over the state, provocative slogans were raised in presence of police, asking Muslims to leave Haryana. Such things had never been witnessed in Haryana which had remained an island of peace and tranquility even when the neighbouring states reported communal violence.
Investigations based on talks with various stakeholders prove beyond doubt that the entire operation was mishandled and it was a miserable failure of police and the administration. More shockingly, there was no coordination between CID chief Alok Mittal and CM Manohar Lal Khattar, and between CM and Home Minister Anil Vij.
Despite reports of apprehension of violence during the Yatra from both sides, that is, by organizers of the Yatra and those opposing it, the Nuh administration and police didn’t take adequate measures to prevent the ugly situation.
To add salt to injury C.M. 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.
Home Minister Anil Vij, Union Minister and MP from Gurugram Inderjit and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala’s contradictory stand and statements on the issue has further aggravated the situation.
Sources say that a week before the Yatra, Vishvavjit, CID Inspector of Nuh, had sent input to his headquarters apprehending violence during the Yatra, adding that organizers will brandish naked swords during the Yatra.
Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante and an accused involved in several cases of murder and attempt to murder, while appealing people to join the Yatra, had announced that he will also join it. His appeal angered the local youths in Nuh.
Videos carrying derogatory messages from saffron activists, saying “we are coming and be ready for our welcome” were viral which further aggravated the situation leading to tremendous resentment among members of the Muslim community. In state assembly, Congress MLA Maman Khan from the Nuh district, while speaking about mischiefs of Monu Manesar, said that if Monu Manesar entered Nuh, he would be crushed like onion.
Meanwhile, criminal elements having vested economic interests due to police crackdown on cyber criminals also joined the fray. This proved when mob attacked and burnt the record of Cyber Crime Police Station.
In Nuh, battle lines were drawn by both the groups but at state police headquarters there was no coordination between Police and political leadership. The local police acted under political leadership’s pressure, and not according to the Constitution and rule of law.
Sources say that on the basis of inputs received from his department in Nuh, Additional Director General of Police(ADGP),CID, Alok Mittal, wrote to Nuh SP and DC Prashant Panwar on July 27, cautioning them about apprehension of violence during the Yatra.
But Nuh SP Varun Singla went on leave all of a sudden and Palwal district SP Lokender Singh was given additional charge of Nuh district. Sources say that while Mittal informed DGP Prashant Aggarwal about apprehension of violence but he did not share this either with Home Minister Anil Vij or CM Manohar Lal for reasons best known to him only.
While CM could not be contacted despite several efforts, Home Minister Anil Vij said that information was not shared with him.
Union Minister Indrejit, Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, Home Minister Anil Vij and BJP Rajya Sabha member DP Vats issued contradictory startements, complicating the situation. While Inderjit questioned about the Yatra organisers and participants carrying weapons, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that organisers of the Yatra did not give complete information about route of the Yatra to administration and hence, the trouble.
As part of BJP leaders’ old habits, DP Vats alleged that violence at Nuh was a conspiracy by Pakistan.
Dushyant Chautla told newsmen at Chandigarh that he got information about the Nuh situation in morning whereas Anil Vij said he came to know about the violence at 3 pm through a private person.
It is interesting to mention here that while delegations of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee and Aam Adami Party were not allowed by administration to visit Nuh but the entire administration including ADGP Mamata Singh met the BJP delegation led by Om Prakash Dhankad at Circuit house and briefed about the steps taken by police and administration.
The Nuh police are worried as organisers of Yatra are planning to resume the Jalabhishek Yatra which could not be completed due to violence.
*Pawan Kumar Bansal is a retired principal correspondent of The Indian Express, and author of a book “Tips for Investigative Journalism“. He can be contacted at [email protected]
