'Khattar Must Act': Pan-India Protests by VHP, Bajrang Dal Over Haryana Violence

Video Producer: Aparna Singh

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal on Wednesday, 2 August, took to protests across Delhi-NCR and several other parts of the country against the communal violence that has marred Haryana since 31 July.

While security has been heightened in sensitive areas in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, protesters took to streets in Noida, Agra, Badarpur, Unnao, Yamuna Nagar, Rewari, Azamgarh, Sitapur, Moradabad, and Bhopal among others.

Members of the Bajrang Dal and VHP protested at several places in Delhi including Nirman Vihar, Ghonda Chowk, and the Badarpur border. While protesters briefly blocked the Badarpur border earlier on Wednesday, many called for 'boycotting' businesses by Muslims outside the Nangloi police station.

Across protest sites, Hindu outfits decried the alleged "planed and sponsored attacks", raised slogans against the Manohar Lal Khattar government, chanted Hanuman Chalisa, and demanded that the state government and the Centre take strict action against those responsible for the communal tensions.

Agra

Protesters in Agra alleged that the plan of the attackers was to not let the Hindus "get back home safely."

Agra VHP office bearer Sunil Parasher claimed: "The way violence erupted in Nuh and innocent Hindus were killed. If the Haryana government and the Centre are failing to protect Hindus, we will plan bigger protests."

Speaking to the media, a VHP leader from Agra alleged: "The VHP and Bajrang Dal have been carrying out peaceful yatras in Nuh for several years. There has been a fixed route for the yatra and we stuck to the route this time as well. But there was a planned attack on the yatra. They were prepared to attack with stones and guns ready in their houses."

"We have been giving calls for Hindu-Muslim brotherhood for years but to no avail. We request the President of India to intervene and take cognizance. We want the President to urge the state and central government that the location were the cars were set ablaze, the two Home Guard officials were killed, and VHP members were attacked should be sanitised by armed forces. Every house should be checked for illegal weapons and people with illegal ideologies and punished," he said.

Moradabad

Hundreds of VHP members protested at Haridwar state highway and demanded bulldozer action against those responsible for violence.

"These demonstrations are for all incidents that have taken place in Mewat, Barailey, and Delhi. There was a peaceful yatra in Nuh but it was attacked with stones and fired upon. The jawans sacrificed their lives. We demand from the prime minister and the President that the strictest action should be taken against them. This is clear terrorism and acts of motivated people," VHP office bearer Dr Rajkamal Gupta said.

Protesters also burnt effigies and resorted to sloganeering.

Yamuna Nagar

Protesters gathered at Yamuna Nagar's Anaj Mandi gate and demanded to meet the District Collector.

"We wanted to meet the DC to give him a letter to tell him that the Hindu community is being targeted. This was a planed attack, it was not random," VHP member Rakesh Maharaj said.

"We were told that the DC is not here. This police administration has failed. If the police had done their jobs, we would not have lost two Home Guard jawans," he said.

Protesters also chanted Hanuman Chalisa after the DC allegedly refused to meet them. The DC met the protesters after they threatened to block the highway.

Azamgarh

VHP and Bajrang Dal members raised slogans and burnt effigies at the District Magistrate's office in Azamgarh to demand action against the perpetrators of the Haryana violence.

"We are here to protest the attack on our holy procession. We have burnt effigies of 'Islamic terrorism and send a message that attack on our community will not be tolerated," Manoj Sahi, a VHO office bearer said.

Rewari

Members of several Hindutva outfits took out a march from Rewari's Rajiv Chowk to the SDM's office where they forcibly tried to enter the premises to submit a letter addressed to the state's home minister.

The outfits also raised slogans against the Haryana government and CM Manohar Lal Khattar.

"We put Section 144 in Rewari and we request the people to not believe in rumors or spread information on social media that will aggravate tensions. There have been no tensions or untoward incidents in Rewari so far," SDM Hoshiyar Singh told the media.

Noida, Unnao, Sitapur 

Meanwhile, protesters raised slogans and burnt effigies in Noida, Sitapur, and Unnao and demanded that the perpetrators be punished.

'Strict Action Will Be Taken': CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Haryana Violence

Khattar, meanwhile, addressed the media on Wednesday and called the violence "unfortunate".

Assuring that strict action would be taken against the accused persons, Khattar said: "A search operation is underway to locate and apprehend individuals who are absconding. As of now, 116 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. All the arrested will be sent on remand today so that more information about those involved in this incident can be obtained."

Speaking on the deployment of security forces, Khattar said that 30 companies of the Haryana Police and 20 companies of central security forces have been deployed to maintain peace.