As mobs threw stones at the Vishva Hindu Parishad march to stop it, as many as two home guards were killed and more than 15 people, including several policemen, sustained injuries on Monday in the Nuh district of Haryana. A shop and cars were burned down by the group of young men. They also blocked the road for a long time.
According to an official, twelve policemen suffered injuries during the clashes. Eight of them were brought to the Medanta hospital in Gurugram. Sajjan Singh, the deputy superintendent of police for Hodal, was shot in the head, and an inspector was shot in the stomach.
Neeraj, a home guard, passed away while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Gursevak was the other home guard who was killed in the violence.
In order to reduce “intense communal tension” following the communal riots, mobile internet connectivity has been temporarily suspended in the Haryana district of Nuh till August 2.
According to the police, a group of men stopped a religious procession called the “Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra” at Khedla Mod in Nuh after it was flagged off from Gurugram’s Civil Lines by BJP district president Gargi Kakkar.
As violence broke out in Sohna in the bordering Gurugram district, close to Delhi, the Union Home Ministry sent 15 companies of the central force to Haryana. As news of the conflict in Muslim-majority Nuh spread, rioters in Sohna stone-pelted and burnt on fire four vehicles and a shop that belonged to members of that community. There, demonstrators spent hours blocking a route.
Anil Vij, the home minister for Haryana, said that the government has sent additional forces from neighbouring districts. He also stated that they are attempting to send more forces by helicopter.
According to Vij, police evacuated more than 2,500 people, including women and children, from the Shiva temple in Nuh. These reportedly included worshippers and people who had sought refuge there during the conflict between the two sides.
Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana, has pleaded for the state to remain peaceful. “Today’s incident is disappointing, and I urge everyone to keep the state peaceful. The culprits will be dealt with at any cost; the harshest actions will be used against them, he tweeted.
Ch Aftab Ahmed, Congress MLA from Nuh, said, “We are requesting to people to maintain peace and not give attention to misinformation. The circumstances are unfortunate. I have never witnessed such failure of administration and police.’’
As a precaution, educational institutions in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, and Palwal were ordered closed on Tuesday.
The police used tear gas shells to disperse the crowds, and the state government temporarily suspended mobile internet connections in the tension-filled area until Wednesday. Prohibitory orders and IPC Section 144, which prohibits public gatherings, were enforced in the Nuh and Gurugram districts.
In order to keep the peace and order in Nuh district for a week, the Haryana government has asked the Central Government for 20 companies of the Rapid Action Force. T V S N Prasad, the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) for Haryana, requested 20 RAF companies “urgently” for one week starting on July 31 in a letter to the Union home secretary.
Ten minutes after the procession of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, violence broke out between the two groups. Around 2:00 PM, more than 200 people began to walk from Nuh town’s Edward Chowk. Then a large crowd started throwing stones at the procession. The Hindu side initially ran away, but later they came back.
According to some sources, a Bajrang Dal activist in Ballabhgarh released an offensive video on social media that served as a trigger for the conflict.
According to the sources, Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante who had previously been arrested for the death of two Muslim men whose burned bodies were discovered in the Bhiwani area in February, was also expected to participate in the procession.
The VHP advised Monu Manesar not to participate because they thought there would be violence if he did, the vigilante reported to PTI. On Twitter, there were also threats that dared him to visit Nuh.
