homeindia NewsHaryana violence toll rises to 5, schools and internet shut | Here's what led to 'communal tension'
Haryana violence toll rises to 5, schools and internet shut | Here's what led to 'communal tension'
The violence happened late Monday when a mob in minority-dominated Nuh district tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession. The mod allegedly pelted stones and set cars ablaze, police said.
The death toll in the violence that erupted over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession in Haryana's Nuh district rose to five on Tuesday. "Intense communal tension" gripped parts of Haryana after clashes erupted between two groups in the Nuh district adjoining Gurugram on Monday.
According to sources, panic in the offices of Gurugram has led to an early dismissal of employees. In response to the situation, authorities have announced a work-from-home arrangement until August 04.
Additionally, there have been reports of some residential societies asking their majority-Muslim maids to refrain from work and stay home during this period. This has also resulted in the suspension of online deliveries in the area.
Meanwhile, it is reported that migrant Muslims from places like Badshahpur and Bhondsi are making their way to Delhi, seeking refuge amid the uncertainty.
Panic in #Gurugram offices start sending employees home early. Work from home announced till August 04. Maids majority #Muslims asked to stay home by societies. #Online deliveries halted.Migrant Muslims from Badshahpur Bhondsi etc make a bee line to escape to Delhi #HaryanaNews pic.twitter.com/8PXjGSVDuH
— Sumedha Sharma (@sumedhasharma86) August 1, 2023
On Tuesday afternoon, Gurgaon witnessed another incident of violence. At approximately 2 PM, a mob set two shops ablaze in Badshapur. Nearby shopkeepers reported that both shops were already vacated by their occupants on the preceding Monday, as they had fled to their villages.
Communal violence in parts of #Haryana has left at least 5 people dead & more than 30 injured. Here's a ground report by Network 18's team of reporters on the aftermath of the clashes#NuhViolence #Nuh #MonuManesar #Haryanaviolence @_anshuls pic.twitter.com/NQjzFHeSas
— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) August 1, 2023
Stones were pelted and cars were set on fire during a religious procession in Nuh, police said. Meanwhile, police lobbed teargas shells to disperse crowds. A mosque was also attacked in the Sector 57 area of Gurugram, PTI reported. Two home guards were killed and many others, including several policemen, were injured as the violence flared up on Monday.
DCP Gurugram Nitish Agarwal said on Tuesday that "there were attempts by a few people to do stone pelting in Sohna after the reports of Mewat clashes". However, "the situation is under control now. Social media is being monitored and police have been deployed", he added.
VIDEO | Several vehicles torched after clashes broke out between two groups in Haryana's Mewat earlier today pic.twitter.com/fSX8bxxwYM
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 31, 2023
What led to the violence in Haryana?
The violence happened late Monday when a mob in minority-dominated Nuh district tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession. The mod allegedly pelted stones and set cars ablaze, police said.
Police were quoted by news agency PTI as saying that VHP's 'Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra' was stopped by a group of young men near Nuh's Khedla Mod and stones pelted at the procession. Cars were then set ablaze.
The ‘Brij mandal 84 Kos Jalabhishek Yatra’ has been held in Nuh for the last three years by the VHP, Matra Shakti Durga Vahini and the Bajrang Dal. The Yatra was scheduled to begin around 1 pm from the Nalkeshwar Temple in Nuh’s Nalhad area.
It follows the route of going to the Pandavkalan Shiv temple in Firozpur Jhirka before concluding at Radha Krishan Temple in Singar village in Haryana, News 18 reported.
However, the Yatra came under attack soon after starting from the Nalkeshwar temple. Stones were pelted from roof-tops by the members of another community, the report said.
People participating in the procession reportedly hurled stones back at the youths who had stopped them, leading to violence in the region.
Meanwhile, a mob reached the Anjuman Masjid in Sector 57 of Gurugram after midnight, police said. Some people in the crowd opened fire at the people present in the mosque and also set it ablaze.
As news of the violence in Nuh spread on Monday, mobs in Sohna set ablaze four vehicles and a shop, reportedly belonging to people from that community. There were no reports of any fresh violence on Tuesday.
Death toll and damages
Five people have died in the Haryana violence so far - four in Nuh and one in Gurugram. Home guards Neeraj and Gursewak, and Bhadas village resident Shakti died in Nuh, while the identity of the fourth victim is yet to be ascertained.
In Gurugram, a 26-year-old man was killed and a mosque was set ablaze in Sector 57 as the violence spread to neighbouring areas, police said. The mob opened fire, injuring two persons. One of them died during treatment.
Ten policemen were among 23 injured in the violence in Nuh.
At least 120 vehicles were damaged during the violence in Nuh. Of these, 50, including eight belonging to the police, were set ablaze.
Many people took refuge in the Nalkeshwar temple after the stone-pelting began and were rescued later. Over 150 brand-new motorcycles were also looted from a showroom-cum-godown in the area by the protestors.
What prohibitory orders are in place?
Curfew has been clamped in Nuh, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday as the situation in the district remains tense. However, there were no reports of any fresh violence on Tuesday.
Moreover, mobile internet services were temporarily suspended in Nuh till Wednesday to contain the "intense communal tension", the Haryana government said on Monday.
"...This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from 4 pm, July 31 to 23:59 hours of August 2," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) TVSN Prasad said.
Security has also been beefed up in Gurugram's Sector 57 area, a day after clashes between two groups in the neighbouring Nuh district of Haryana.
Schools shut in Faridabad and Gurugram
"All educational institutions including schools, colleges, and coaching centres in Faridabad district will remain closed on Tuesday," the District Information and Public Relations Officer said. Schools, colleges and coaching centres were also shut in the Gurugram district in the wake if the tensions.
Police action and deployments
Police have registered 11 FIRs in the Nuh district and detained 27 people in connection with the rioting. Meanwhile, police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers in Nuh and the other affected areas.
Police personnel stand guard to maintain law and order after clashes between two groups, at Sohna in Gurugram district, Tuesday, Aug 1, 2023. (PTI)Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said the "strictest action" will be taken against those responsible for the incident.
"Today's incident is unfortunate. I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, and the strictest action will be taken against them," the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.
Nuh District Collector Prashant Pawar told ANI, "Section 144 has been imposed in the district, curfew is in place, 20 companies of Paramilitary forces are stationed in the district today, senior state officers are also here... We've divided the district into subsectors and formed joined teams of inspectors and magistrates so that we can instil normalcy as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, Nuh SP Narendra Bijarniya said police called both Hindu and Muslim committees and held separate meetings to establish a common ground. "Once it's established, we'll have a common meeting today," he said.
Besides, a Peace Committee meeting was held at Nuh Deputy Commissioner Camp office over the clash that broke out between two groups in Haryana's Nuh on Monday.
First Published: Aug 1, 2023 1:10 PM IST
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